Dream A Little Dream
by Kay-san
Summary: No doubt watching Naruto and Sasuke babysit the orphange would be entertaining. But Sakura and Kakashi were about to gain so much more from this little adventure. KakashixOlder Sakura
1. Mission

Hey all! I just had to write _something_ and heaven forbid I should _update_ anything already in the works. (sigh) So, here's a little something fun and light-hearted. It was meant to be a one-shot but ran away from me and is looking like it might end up with three or four chapters. Dang it. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. No copyright infringement is intended and this fic is made purely for entertainment purposes and not monetary gain.

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**Dream A Little Dream**

**Chapter 1: Mission**

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There were two things Hatake Kakashi feared within Konoha's borders. One: was a one-night stand telling him she was pregnant. Two: was an enraged Haruno Sakura. Unfortunately for the masked ninja, the two were meeting this morning, minus the pregnancy.

He had woken up that morning to an incessant pounding on his door. Normally, he would be rather quick with answering. However it felt like someone or something was trying to rip his head into two pieces from the inside out and he could tell from the slight shaking of his hands that he was dehydrated. "I knew I shouldn't have had so much to drink." The copy nin grumbled as his groggy mind tried to piece together the previous night's events. He remembered heading to the bar with Genma, indulging in a few beers and then... _'Oh well that figures. I knew he'd be in there somewhere with a hangover like this.' _Gai had challenged him to a drinking contest, which his already buzzed self accepted.

Just then he realized someone else was in bed with him. Doing a quick mental check, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief as he took notice that his clothes were still on and he didn't have that boneless feeling a night of sex provided him. He hated sex he couldn't remember. The relief intensified as one of the ugliest kunoichi he had ever seen peeked out from the sheets. He had enough self-control to not recoil from the woman, but he had to consciously work to stop his grimace. _'Damn, those must have been some strong beer goggles. Thank god we didn't do anything.'_

As he was looking for the words to get the woman (whose name he didn't recall) to leave, his front door burst open and an angry Sakura stormed into his room. "KAKASHI! What the hell is your problem? I've been knocking for five minutes out there! Get up, lazy ass!"

The twelve year old Sakura would have probably blushed and run out of the room seeing her former sensei not only in bed, but in bed with someone else. Actually, twelve year old Sakura would have never burst into his apartment, either. However, twenty-one year old Sakura was not so easily embarrassed and merely arched an eyebrow at the woman.

The kunoichi sat up in the bed and fixed Sakura with a look that clearly said 'get out.' When that didn't work, she wound her arms around Kakashi, who looked at Sakura with a stricken 'help me' look. "Look, little girl. Maybe you should go. Kakashi and I have some unfinished business to attend to. Little kids have no place here."

Sakura crossed her arms, trying to seem unaffected by the 'kid' remark. She took a good look at the features that were simply too small for the wide face, all of them centered, leaving tons of empty room on the woman's face. She then turned to her team leader. "Rough night, Kakashi?"

At a loss for words since he didn't want to hurt the woman's feelings, Kakashi merely shrugged and addressed the creature that was practically suctioned to his side. "Maybe you should go…uh…yeah." He just couldn't remember the woman's name!

The nameless ninja stood up, fully dressed herself, and pointed an accusing finger at Sakura. "So, _she's_ more suited to your needs than I am? Ridiculous! She's barely got any curves!"

Sakura felt the jealousy she had been feeling slip away. She had developed a crush on Kakashi that had blossomed into something deeper over the past year. One-sided of course, since Haruno Sakura was oh so unlucky in love. The tight pangs of jealousy had filled her chest as she noticed a woman in bed with Kakashi. However, they were both dressed, shoes and all, so nothing had happened. The woman wasn't attractive in the least. And Kakashi obviously didn't want her there. Yes the jealousy was gone, but Sakura wasn't about to let this woman's insults slide.

Kakashi groaned. _'Boy, do I know how to pick 'em. This one seems a little off kilter. And Sakura's about to kill her.'_

Sure enough, the pink haired young woman was practically vibrating with anger. "I'll show you who's more woman!" she muttered venomously as she marched forward, grabbed the woman by the hair and dragged her to the front door. "And stay out!" she bellowed as she shoved the woman out. For a split second, Kakashi thought it was incredibly hot to see Sakura manhandle the woman that way, until the fact that it was _Sakura_ slapped him in the face. _'What the hell is wrong with me? It's Sakura for heaven's sake!'_

When Sakura returned, Kakashi looked sheepish as she stared him down. She took note of his appearance and felt satisfaction that his mask was still in place. She'd feel unimportant if he showed some fling his face before his trusted teammate. "I take it the night didn't go as planned?"

Kakashi rubbed at his forehead. "It was dark in the bar and I had way too many drinks." A thought struck him and he gave Sakura a strange look. "Why are you here?" He and the young woman were friends, but she rarely came to his apartment.

"We have a mission."

"Okay, but why are _you_ here? There's usually a chuunin aid that brings mission scrolls, unless it's ANBU and then one of their operatives delivers it."

Sakura smiled at him. "I'm on a pre-mission mission right now." At Kakashi's puzzled look she continued. "Tsunade-shishou asked me to make sure you arrived on time. She's very busy today and doesn't have time for your shenanigans."

He couldn't help the wide smile that cracked through. "Shenanigans? You've been planning to say that word for a while haven't you."

Sakura shrugged. "It's a fun word. Now get showered and dressed. You reek of alcohol and smoke."

After getting ready, Kakashi and a stormy faced Sakura headed to the Hokage Tower. One leisurely strolling along, the other stomping ahead slightly and turning every few seconds to make 'hurry up' motions to the one behind. How he had managed to not only be late himself, but make Sakura late was a mystery. Especially since the pink haired medic didn't even realize it was happening.

They finally made it to Tsunade's office and found Naruto and Sasuke waiting for them. Tsunade glared hard at Kakashi. "About time. It's bad enough that you're late to everything, but don't you dare corrupt my apprentice, Hatake."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Hokage-sama." He gave a friendly eye crease and hoped that would be the end of any reprimands he may receive.

Tsunade folded her hands and rested her chin against them as she prepared to address the ninja in front of her. "As you all know, I've summoned you here for a mission. This is important as it's the first mission for Uchiha since his return to Konoha. His probation is finally up and his shinobi status has been re-instated. It is C-Rank and will take a week. Luckily for the four of you, it is within Konoha so you won't need to travel."

Naruto had his hackles up at the 'C-Rank' bit. "Tsunade-baachan! Why just C-Rank? You know we can handle something more than that! We're four of the best ninja in the village!"

"Brat, you and the Uchiha are still technically genin. Hatake and Sakura are involved because they volunteered to be the jounin in charge of you and the Uchiha until you can be promoted to chuunin. As genin, C-Rank is the best I can do."

Naruto looked at Sakura, hoping that as the Hokage's apprentice she could do something. "Sakura-chan."

The medic looked at him and smiled. "I prefer Sakura-sensei, actually."

Kakashi couldn't suppress a snicker as Naruto and Sasuke looked at Sakura strangely. She continued. "Hey, it isn't my fault you two left the village for a few years! I think I'm entitled to enjoy my status above you." But she gave them a wink that said she was joking and they turned their attention back to Tsunade.

Naruto wasn't done trying to get a better mission. "Maybe you could give this mission to Konohamaru's team and give us something more challenging."

Oh it just got sweeter and sweeter for the Hokage. "They're taking the chuunin exams. All three are in the finals. Seems your little follower will be a chuunin before you, brat." Naruto always managed to make her life more difficult, so a little 'rub it in his face' was fun for the busty blonde.

After a shocked expression and a, "WHAT?!", Naruto pouted and turned his attention to Sasuke. "This is all your fault, teme."

"How is it _my_ fault, dobe?"

"If you hadn't left the village and made us save your sorry ass we could have taken the chuunin exams years ago."

Sasuke scowled at Naruto. "I didn't make you wait for me to take the exams. That was your decision, dobe. Don't blame me for it."

Tsunade put her hands up. "That's enough. Here's the mission scroll, Hatake. It's mainly for the two boys. You and Sakura are merely there to supervise."

He opened the scroll and chuckled. "You have to baby-sit the orphanage for a week."

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The quartet went out for dinner that night, their weekly get-together. They had all forgone their ninja gear in favor of civilian clothing since they were attending a nicer restaurant than normal. Sakura giggled as she approached the restaurant. Sasuke and Naruto would have been extremely handsome in their button up shirts and slacks if they weren't sulking. "Upset about the mission boys?"

The two turned to Sakura behind them and then both jaws dropped. She was wearing a black sleeveless dress that hugged her torso and then flared at the hips and flowed down to her knees. Her shinobi sandals had been traded for a pair of strappy black heels and free of her headband her hair fell in silky, straight strands to just below her shoulders and her bangs just dusted her forehead. "Uh…boys?"

Sasuke snapped out of his trance first and gave her a smirk. "You look nice." Had it been anyone else, Sakura would have smiled and said 'thank you', but since it was the stoic Uchiha it was her turn to drop her jaw.

After a second her gaze softened into a small smile. "What I would have given for you to say that nine years ago."

Naruto was still a little dazed from Sakura's appearance when a puff of smoke alerted them to Kakashi's presence. "Yo." The phrase snapped Naruto out of his daze and he looked at Kakashi in disbelief.

"You're on time?"

Sakura snickered. "Only because I told him our meeting time was an hour ago."

Kakashi turned to her to give a friendly eye crease and compliment her craftiness, but as he turned his visible eye went wide and his gaze slowly traveled from her feet up to her head. _'Holy shit. When did that happen?'_

Sakura would have noticed if she wasn't doing her own perusal of his appearance. The troublesome mask was still in place, but the forehead protector was gone and a simple eye patch was in its place causing his hair to fall around his face handsomely. He was dressed in a black suit with a light blue shirt and Sakura had to remember not to drool. _'Was Kakashi always this hot?' _Inner Sakura had hearts in her eyes before melting into a puddle of goo.

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance and smirks before breaking the spell their two teammates were under. Naruto hid his chuckle as a cough. "Well, let's head inside. Our reservation time is 7:00 and its 6:55 now."

They were led to their table and Kakashi held out Sakura's chair as a gentleman would, which surprised the younger kunoichi greatly, before taking his own seat next to her. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged another glance at that and decided to do a little digging.

Naruto started up after their drinks were ordered. "So, Kaka-sensei, been seeing anyone lately?"

Sakura choked on her water and started laughing and Kakashi narrowed his eye at her. "No, I'm not seeing anyone. Why? You interested?" Kakashi winked at Naruto and the kyuubi container shuddered in revulsion.

"Eww. No! Just asking. Sheesh!"

Sakura spoke up. "So, that woman this morning was nothing?" The amused smirk on her face told Kakashi he wasn't getting out of this one as she propped her chin in her hand, watching him and waiting.

The two boys were immediately listening intently. "What woman?" asked Sasuke.

Sakura smiled and winked at Kakashi, who was determined not to elaborate. "This stud over here had a woman in his bed when I went to get him this morning."

Kakashi was practically growling. "We were both fully dressed, so you know nothing happened."

"Really, Kakashi I was surprised at you. You could do much better than her. She wasn't pretty at all." Sakura was clearly enjoying herself.

Naruto was hiding his mouth behind his hand, trying to muffle his laughter. "You picked up an ugly chick?"

"In my defense, it was dark in the bar and I was more drunk than I have been in a long time."

Sasuke huffed behind his glass. "Excuses, excuses."

"If you're all done picking on your poor old sensei…" Kakashi sniffed indignantly.

The green-eyed woman next to him snorted behind her menu. "Poor old sensei my ass." She stole a glance out of the corner of her eye to see his eye crinkling merrily as he perused the menu. _'I wonder what he looks like without the mask.'_

Naturally, it wasn't the first time she had wondered, and truthfully she had stopped trying to de-mask him. It wasn't about his physical appearance to her. Kakashi was Kakashi and she loved him no matter what he looked like. But with him looking delectable in the suit, her interest was renewed.

The rest of dinner went off without a hitch, mainly since no one brought up the subject of their upcoming mission. That would have undoubtedly led to angry shouts from Naruto and sulking from Sasuke. Or brooding, since Sasuke insisted he didn't pout or sulk. They parted ways just outside the restaurant, Sasuke and Naruto headed toward their homes while Sakura and Kakashi lived in the other direction.

"So Kakashi, when will you let your dear friend here see your face?" Sakura gave him her most winning smile.

With a chuckle Kakashi replied. "Since you all want to see it so bad, I don't want to show you."

Sakura pouted. "But I really want to see you without the mask in your suit." She wasn't playing this time. In her nine years of knowing Kakashi, this was the first time she had seen him in anything other than the regulation jounin uniform. Who knew how long it would be until she had the chance again?

Kakashi took note of her downcast expression and sighed heavily. Really, who would it hurt to show her? He trusted her with his life, why couldn't he show her his face? He knew why he hesitated. It had taken years to construct those solid walls he used to keep others out. The mask was one of those walls. Letting people get too close was dangerous. He had lost too many already. If he let another in and lost them, it would break him. However, as he looked at Sakura again he realized he was too close to his team already. If any of them were taken, he would be just a shell. Somehow the little brats of Team 7 had wormed their way under his skin and he loved them all dearly. "Sakura."

Her pink tresses shifted as she slowly lifted her head. "Yes?"

Hearing the dejection in her voice only steeled his resolve. "If it means that much to you, I'll show you."

He watched in interest as her face changed completely, bright smile and excited eyes growing on her face. "Is my face really that intriguing to you?"

"Well, you wouldn't show us. That only made us want to see it more."

"And you wanting to see so badly made me not want to show you. Sort of a catch 22, don't you think?" He smiled at her beneath the mask. "Let's go to my apartment. I won't take my mask off out here."

Sakura practically bounced and skipped next to him as they made their way to his tiny apartment. Once inside, Kakashi closed all the curtains and made sure the door was locked. Sakura quirked a brow at his behavior. "Paranoid much?"

"Sakura, you're the first person to see my face in ten years. I don't intend to make this a habit."

After he was satisfied that no one could see or walk in, he lifted the eye patch and set it on the table next to him.

"No sharingan, Kakashi! You use that on me and I swear I'll-"

She didn't get to finish as Kakashi shook his head. "I promise. You have my word."

"No genjutsu?"

"No."

"Alright. I'm ready then." Sakura stood across from him, watching intently, heart pounding as the moment she had been waiting for since she was twelve took place.

He opened his sharingan and the intensity his eyes held when both were opened caused Sakura to tremble slightly in anticipation. He slid a finger under the mask and tugged down swiftly.

Sakura didn't have much reaction for a second, just stared, taking in the straight nose and full lips, strong jaw line and high cheekbones. Once she took in the whole picture instead of just certain features, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. _'Holy cow. He's gorgeous!'_ Inner Sakura promptly fainted.

Kakashi smirked and quirked a brow at her reaction. It broke the trance Sakura was in and she murmured quietly. "You're beautiful."

Not used to compliments that had nothing to do with fighting, Kakashi's cheeks turned a slight pink and he smiled brightly, eyes crinkling in the manner Sakura knew so well.

"Oh god. Don't do that." Sakura had to grab the back of the chair she was next to so her wobbly knees wouldn't buckle on her.

Kakashi's eyes opened and he bit his lip, beginning to get uncomfortable with her staring. He noticed Sakura grab the back of the chair with both hands and immediately released his bottom lip. "Are you done yet?"

"Only if you promise I can ogle you again." She had overcome her shock, but she wasn't exactly ready to give this up. She smiled teasingly at him.

The copy nin pulled his mask back up and then grinned behind it. "I suppose on special occasions you can see it again."

Sakura went over to give him a hug, something she always did with her boys before parting. "Thank you for trusting me enough." She pulled back and gave him a bright smile before her sakura petals engulfed her.

Kakashi stood dumbstruck for a moment. Why did that hug, that normal hug, affect him so? Why did he pull her tighter than usual? Why did he linger longer? Why did her warm whisper in his ear send a shiver down his spine? Was it just because of her reaction to his face? He knew she found him handsome, actually beautiful was the word she used. No one had called him that before. It put a silly smile on his face as he recalled how she looked at that moment. A glance at the scroll on his desk reminded him of the next day's mission and he sighed. There was no time to ponder his questions since they had to be there early tomorrow. And he sure as heck didn't want to miss a second of Sasuke and Naruto trying to baby-sit.

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Sakura sank onto her bed, dreamy smile on her face as she pictured Kakashi's maskless face in her mind. Inner Sakura had come to just before the hug and was currently posting Kakashi pin-ups all over the walls of Sakura's mind, humming happily.

"Is it just me or was Kakashi different tonight?" Sakura wondered quietly.

'_Oh, he was different alright. Has he always been that hot? And if so, why the hell haven't we been drooling over him?'_ Inner Sakura demanded.

Sakura sighed. "I was probably imagining things."

'_No, you weren't. He held you tighter and longer than usual. And correct me if I'm wrong, but we enjoyed it. He better do it again.' _

"No use pondering now. I have an…amusing mission tomorrow." She fell asleep with a mischievous smile in place. Watching Naruto and Sasuke would be one of the funniest missions ever, she was sure of it.

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They all met up at Kakashi's apartment the next morning. The three former students figured he wouldn't be late if they all teamed up on him. However when they went to knock on his door, it opened and Kakashi stood there ready to go. At their stunned looks he grinned. "Hey, I'm not missing this."

Sakura and Kakashi were practically beaming on the way to the orphanage while Naruto and Sasuke looked defeated.

"Sakura-chan, I don't know how to take care of kids. What the heck am I going to do?" Naruto looked truly lost.

Sakura frowned at him. "How am I supposed to know? I'm an only child and don't have any kids of my own."

"Well, don't girls usually baby-sit at some point?"

"Naruto, when the hell did I have time to baby-sit? I was either training with you guys, on missions, or having paperwork dumped on me by Tsunade-shishou."

"Geez, sorry I asked."

Sasuke sighed. "The dobe does have a point. Neither one of us knows how to deal with kids."

Kakashi smiled brightly, since nothing seemed to affect him. "We'll figure it out, I'm sure. How hard can it be?"

How hard indeed. When they reached the orphanage, they heard a woman yelling inside and a loud crash. "Keisuke, you little brat! I'm taking that vase out of your hide, young man!"

"NOOOOO! You'll never catch me, hahahaha!"

This time they heard a little girl shouting, trying to be the voice of reason. "Keisuke-kun, she's going to catch you and it'll hurt a lot more! Just take your punishment like a man!"

"I'm not a man yet, Akane-chan! Hahahaha!"

The four shinobi, now very apprehensive, opened the orphanage doors to quite a sight. An older woman, apparently the head mistress, was chasing a laughing little boy while a little girl stood on the coffee table in the middle of the room, shaking her head sadly.

The woman finally caught the little boy, presumably Keisuke, and proceeded to smack him on the rear with a wide stick of wood, the word 'Punisher' etched into the surface. "That'll teach you, you little punk. Now go to your room!"

He wasn't crying, but he was rubbing his tender posterior and glaring at the old woman as he obediently went to his room. At the top of the stairs, he turned to stick his tongue out at her and when she took a step forward with her paddle raised, he shot off to his room like lightening.

She turned to the four stunned ninja and smiled slightly. "I'm guessing you're here to watch the kids while I'm on vacation?" When the ninja nodded dumbly she continued. "Well, it isn't always this bad. Keisuke gets into these moods and then all hell breaks loose. Keep him in control and you should be fine. There are seven children total. Two infants: one month old twins. Three toddlers: ages eighteen months a two year old and a four year old. And two that are seven, these being Keisuke and Akane-chan. She's my little helper." The old woman smiled warmly at the little girl who was clutching a battered teddy bear in one arm.

"Pleased to meet you." Akane smiled slightly at the ninja and then approached Sakura and pulled on her sleeve to get her to bend down. "I'm glad there's a girl here," she whispered. "Boys are yucky."

Sakura giggled at Akane. "Too true, Akane-chan."

They noticed the older woman had disappeared, but she soon came down the stairs, Keisuke in tow. She smiled widely at the ninja as she grabbed her bags. "I'd love to give you more information, but I've got to go! Akane-chan can tell you whatever you need to know. Bye!" And as they watched the cloud of dust form behind her, they could swear they heard shouts of 'I'm free! I'm free!' coupled with mad cackling.

It seemed the head mistress's departure was the signal for pandemonium. One infant wailed which woke the other one and Sasuke sauntered off to collect them. Their crying woke up the three toddlers, who were filled with energy after a good night's sleep and proceeded to race through the house. And Keisuke started to jump on one of the couches while Akane sighed.

Naruto was trying to coral the toddlers into the living area, all the while yelling at Keisuke to stop jumping on the furniture. Sasuke re-entered the living room with the two infants, a bewildered 'what the hell do I do' look on his face and Sakura gave a long sigh. "I knew I'd end up helping with this mission. And I so wanted to just watch and laugh." She threw a playful pout Kakashi's way and he chuckled.

"You have a plan?"

"I've substituted for Iruka-sensei before. If I can handle those monsters, I can handle this." She rummaged around in her pack a second before withdrawing a little silver whistle. After a loud and drawn out squeal from it, the house was silent. Even the infants were startled enough to stop their fussing. "Alright you lot. Form a line, now!"

The boys watched impressed as five kids lined up in front of Sakura. "There will be ground rules while the head mistress is gone. _We_ are in charge now." Sasuke and Naruto came to stand behind Sakura while she talked to the little ones. "If anyone lies to any of us, Sasuke will see it." She motioned for Sasuke to activate his sharingan, which made the children gasp. "No one will disobey unless they want Naruto to use the paddle on them." Naruto took off his jacket and flexed an arm, causing the t-shirt to stretch tight on him. The kids looked like they were beginning to sweat. "If you start to backtalk, I'll let Kakashi deal with you." The silver-haired jounin narrowed his visible eye at them and they backed up slightly. "But, if you need something, we're all here for you." She smiled at the children and they relaxed. "You all behave, and we'll have a good time. I promise."

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A/N: Alright. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, reviews would be greatly appreciated. There's probably OOC-ness because no matter how hard I try, it usually sneaks in there somewhere. Hugs & Kisses!


	2. Clueless

Sorry it took so long, finals week and then one of my parents' dogs attacked my mom and sister (we're talking Careflight had to be called) and then Christmas and then a new job. But everyone is fine and everything has settled down, so here is the next installment! Your reviews have been incredibly nice and made me feel guilty that I hadn't had time to update. But, here goes and hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fic is made purely for entertainment purposes and I make no monetary gain from this. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Dream A Little Dream**

**Chapter 2: Clueless**

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Sakura looked at the line of kids in front of her. "Okay. I know you're Akane-chan. You're Keisuke. And now I need the names of the rest of you."

The four year old was a little boy who grinned widely at Sakura. With curly brown hair and dimples, he was absolutely precious. He pointed a chubby thumb at his chest and proclaimed with gusto, "I'm Sanosuke!" Sakura smiled in amusement and turned to the two year old.

The little girl hid behind Sanosuke, wary of the strangers. Sanosuke spoke for her. "This is Ayao. She follows me _everywhere_." He rolled his eyes and Kakashi felt his own smile creeping up on him. _'If nothing else, this week will at least be interesting.'_

Sakura was about to ask the eighteen month old her name when the little child toddled up to Kakashi and lifted her arms in a 'pick me up' manner. The Copy Nin didn't know what to do, so he looked at Sakura questioningly. "Pick her up, Kakashi."

Kakashi lifted the little one and set her on his hip. The two engaged in a short staring match; Kakashi wondering what the child wanted and the child just observing with youthful innocence. Slowly, a smile crept across the small face and a tiny hand reached for Kakashi's mask. His own hand shot up to gently halt the little girl's actions and he gave his happy eye crease, letting go of her hand to wag his finger back and forth. "You can't remove my mask, little one."

Sakura watched the exchange with a soft and affectionate smile. Would Kakashi be a good father? He was certainly adorable with his new friend. She walked over and looked at the girl, who waved in greeting. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Yuki! Yuki! Yuki! Yuki!" She began to clap and chant her name over and over.

Naruto chuckled. "Think her name is Yuki?"

Akane's little voice chimed in. "She doesn't know too many words. She only came here a couple weeks ago and the head mistress says no one really paid much attention to her."

Sakura's little smile slipped into a frown. How someone could be so callous was beyond her. Sure, she killed people when needed. But they were a threat to her village and the innocent people that lay behind its walls. She would never hurt or neglect a child. She looked back to the older kids. "And what about the two youngest ones here?" She wandered over to look at the one month olds in Sasuke's grasp.

Keisuke spoke this time. "The little girl is Hana. The little boy is Makoto."

Sanosuke looked at Sakura, the only one the kids (aside from Yuki) weren't completely terrified of. "When's breakfast?"

With a wicked smile, she turned on Naruto and Sasuke. "Well, boys? Hop to it!"

Kakashi set Yuki down and he and Sakura each took an infant from Sasuke. "I only changed Makoto before all hell broke loose out here." Sasuke informed them.

With a nod, Kakashi and Sakura set off toward the nursery. "At such a young age, I can't tell which one is male and which is female. We'll just have to check both, I guess." Sakura set one of the tiny, squirming bundles down on a changing table and Kakashi followed suit. "Okay, Kakashi. Before you start, one word of advice. After you open the diaper, let air hit the child and then quickly put the diaper back up. The first cool rush of air tends to make younger babies go."

"Got it."

Sakura had quickly changed her little one (they realized it was Hana) since it was wet it was obviously the one Sasuke hadn't changed. "Actually, since we're here. Let's go ahead and check Makoto, too. Babies this age need frequent changes."

She noticed Kakashi looking at the diaper oddly. "How do I do this?"

"You don't know how to change a baby?" There was obvious amusement in Sakura's voice.

"Well, besides the fact that I haven't changed a baby since a D-rank mission when I was a genin, I don't remember diapers looking like this."

Curious, Sakura gathered up Hana and stepped next to Kakashi. "Oh for Heaven's sake. Here." She handed him Hana and then looked to her former sensei. "Watch both for a second."

She returned a moment later, Sasuke in tow. "What's wrong?"

She pointed at the diaper with an irritated scowl. "Sasuke, just watch so I can show you how to change a diaper. This is on backwards, idiot."

Kakashi began to chuckle. "No wonder it looked different."

Sakura righted the diaper with efficiency and turned to Sasuke, amusement on her face now. "See? I really don't see how you managed to get it backwards. Wasn't that a bit difficult?"

Sasuke merely shrugged and headed back to the kitchen. Kakashi and Sakura followed and Sakura could already tell it wasn't going to be good. The smell of burning pancakes and overly strong coffee assaulted her senses and she grimaced as they entered. "What is going on?"

Sasuke flipped the blackened pancake onto a plate and handed it to Akane, who looked at Sakura with a pout. "Do I have to eat it?"

"No, of course not." She grabbed the plate and dumped the inedible object into the trash and then looked to the stove. "Sasuke, you can't cook pancakes on high! They need to cook slower on medium to medium-low heat!" She quickly turned the knob and looked over to Naruto who was…pouring ramen in a blender? What the hell? Afraid to hear the answer, but thinking she knew it anyway, she stood next to her blond teammate. "What are you doing?"

With a smile that clearly said he was proud of himself, Naruto turned to address her. "I'm making ramen for the babies' breakfast." The loud hum of the blender started up and Sakura recoiled in disgust.

"Naruto! Babies can't digest ramen! Look." She reached across Naruto to grab a metal container that read 'Formula.' "This is what babies eat. They can't handle anything else until around three or four months old. Ramen is a _long_ way off." She went about scooping the formula into a small bottle and mixing it with cold water before setting it in the bottle warmer to the side.

Kakashi was impressed with how she was able to make a bottle while still holding a baby. Although he had noticed that a lot of women seemed to have more than two arms when taking care of little ones. He watched as she made up two bottles and handed one to Naruto and one to Sasuke. "You two feed the babies. Only one ounce at a time and then burp them."

"How do we burp them?" Naruto really was clueless. Although she could have gathered that from the ramen episode.

"Just put a cloth over your shoulder and hold the baby like so." She set Hana up on her shoulder and alternately rubbed and patted her back. "Do this for a few minutes and you should get results. If not, don't worry about it and give them another ounce."

The two trotted off and Sakura surveyed the scene in front of her with a sigh. "I'm going to end up doing all the work, aren't I." It was a statement, not a question.

Kakashi chuckled. "You could leave them to their own devices."

"Their own devices would end up killing these kids." She took a good look around the kitchen and whimpered. Pancake batter was smeared all over the countertop and Naruto had neglected to put the lid on the blender while he was pureeing the ramen so that had erupted onto the cabinets. "Kakashi, would you mind cleaning up the mess?"

Her pout was so adorable that he really couldn't resist. Not that he would have said no anyway. She wasn't supposed to have to do all this work, but like she said, the other two would undoubtedly cause harm to the kids. It wouldn't be on purpose, but their ignorance about childcare would do enough. "Sure. What are you going to do about this?" He poked at a blob of undercooked pancake and glanced at her.

She dumped the batter and began rummaging around for more bowls and pans. "I guess I'll just start over. These young ones need a good breakfast." She mixed up more pancake batter and Kakashi made another pot of coffee before he cleaned up the disaster area. Sakura allowed a smile at how domestic it all was. Danger and death followed them at every turn, but here she was making breakfast for a bunch of rugrats next to the man she loved. How utterly, sickeningly domestic.

After he finished with his part, Kakashi leaned against the doorframe and watched, similar thoughts running through his mind. He watched Sakura, the pink haired medic completely unaware, as she expertly flipped and plated pancakes and prepared different fruits in between.

Keisuke stepped up to her and tugged on her shirt. "Sakura-san, can we have bacon too?"

Sakura smiled down at the little boy. "Sure, sweetheart. If you'll get it out for me I'll be happy to make it."

That was it. Kakashi just couldn't resist the smile that burst through, wide enough that it made his cheeks ache. She was so maternal at this moment when all he had seen of her was a devastating temper and a mean right hook. It was such a change and he realized a welcome one. She was cute like this, cooking and taking care of kids.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Naruto set Makoto up on his shoulder and looked at Sasuke. "Hey teme, what should we do about Sakura-chan and Kaka-sensei?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You saw them at the restaurant and I know you were thinking what I was thinking." Naruto looked to his best friend in exasperation. "They were totally into each other."

Sasuke finished burping Hana and put the bottle back in her mouth before answering. "Are you really okay with Sakura and Kakashi as a couple?"

The Kyuubi container rolled his eyes. "Yes. It's better than those idiots that stare at her on the street or make comments about her in the bar. They treat her like a piece of meat. At least Kaka-sensei respects her."

Sasuke frowned as he remembered some of the less tactful comments he had heard. He certainly wasn't interested in Sakura romantically, but he did care for her and he made sure the bastards he encountered knew not to say such things when he was through with them. Naruto did have a point. There wasn't anyone else in the village that he could picture with their temperamental teammate. "So, what do you think we should do? I assume you have an idea since you brought it up."

Naruto cracked a scheming grin. "Oh, I have a plan alright."

Sasuke waited for a minute and when Naruto said nothing else he grew impatient. "Well?"

"Have you noticed the layout of the house?"

Sasuke didn't know where Naruto was going with this. "Not really."

"I looked around real quick while you started breakfast. There is a bedroom for the infants, one for the two boys and another for the three girls. There is another bedroom with two beds that we can share and another with a larger bed and then the head mistress' room. If we hide the sheets to the head mistress' bed and the sheets to one of the beds in our room, then those two will have to share a bed."

"You think that's a good idea?"

Naruto smiled brightly. "They just need a push. I don't think they'll do anything perverted, but if they're forced to be that close to each other maybe something will happen. Like they'll realize their feelings or something." He obviously thought it was a brilliant plan. Sasuke wasn't so convinced.

"I'll go along with it, but only because someone needs to do something about them. Sakura's easy. We already know she has a thing for Kakashi. But he's a bit trickier." The last Uchiha furrowed his brow in thought before lifting Hana to burp her again. "Where will we hide the sheets?"

Naruto's grin grew exponentially.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sakura hummed happily as she kept her watchful eye on the sizzling bacon. The smell of a delicious breakfast had lured all the children into the dining area where Kakashi was busy putting everyone in their seats and pouring glasses of juice or milk. Sakura's humming ceased and a grin formed as she watched her dangerous and deadly former sensei help the littler ones into high chairs, struggling with the confusing security straps and unwieldy food trays. Her gaze shifted to movement down the hallway and noticed Sasuke and Naruto emerge from the infants' room. "Breakfast will be ready in a minute, guys!"

Naruto glanced back to her as they hurried up the stairs. "We'll be right there, Sakura-chan! There's something we wanted to check out first."

She nodded without a second thought and went back to flipping the bacon. A few minutes later she felt a flare of chakra and saw a flash, but before she or Kakashi could react, Naruto and Sasuke entered from the backyard where the activity had come from. "What did you two just do?"

Naruto hadn't thought that far ahead and started racking his brain, but Sasuke answered calmly. "There was a patch of poison ivy in one corner of the yard and I burned it so the kids wouldn't get into it."

Naruto fought down the smirk. _'Nice one, teme. That would explain the burn marks in the grass.'_ Mad cackling bounced around in Naruto's brain. _'Now that Sasuke burned all the extra sheets, you two will have to share a bed.'_

Sakura looked at them quizzically. "How did you get outside?"

Sasuke answered again. "Naruto spotted it from an upstairs window. It was easy to just jump down."

Sakura nodded. "Alright. Grab a seat. Food's done." She laid a few plates on the table full of pancakes, bacon and various fruit slices. She and the boys helped serve all the children before starting on their own plates. Sakura stopped in the middle of filling her plate. "I almost forgot!" She hurried over to the coffee pot and filled four mugs and started fixing them the way her teammates preferred. It was unusual for Sakura to make their coffee for them, but she was in domestic mode and it just sort of happened naturally for her.

As she set the mugs down in front of the three most important men in her life, Kakashi started to chew his lip. She was unbelievably beautiful like this. He would never want to see her tied down unwillingly, being a fierce and valuable kunoichi, but she had more of a maternal side than any other kunoichi he had met before. Sure Kurenai was maternal, but she _was_ a mom, it wasn't like that for Sakura. He needed to keep away from that train of thought. Thinking about Sakura in that way too long would cause problems. He gave an eye crease at his former students' eager faces before taking a lightening fast bite of his food. The three blinked and then rolled their eyes. They should have known.

Sanosuke was seated next to Kakashi and had watched the piece of pancake disappear but didn't see where it went. "How did you do that?"

Kakashi looked down at the boy. "Hm?"

"Your pancake. It just vanished. Poof!" He made a gesture with his tiny hands and the Copy Nin chuckled.

"It didn't vanish. I ate it. You see, I've been wearing this mask for many years and have learned how to eat and drink fast enough that people don't see my face." The eye creased again as Sanosuke gave an awed, 'wow'.

"So why do you wear a mask? Are you disfigured or something?" Keisuke asked eagerly.

Naruto choked on his bacon as he fought down a laugh and Kakashi scowled at the Kyuubi container. "No, I'm not disfigured. I think it makes me more mysterious." He finished on a whisper and the kids gave an 'ooh' of interest.

Sakura shook her head with a smile and spoke to the children at the table. "So, do you guys do baths at night or in the mornings?"

Akane swallowed a mouthful of apple and answered. "At night. We usually get dressed after breakfast and then Keisuke and I go to school. I don't know what the other kids do. Probably play, I guess. But school's out this week."

Sasuke arched a brow in question. Was she serious or was this a trick to stay home? "Is school really out?"

Akane looked at him in confusion. "Yes. The school is just down the road if you want to see for yourself."

Then it clicked. "Oh, you go to regular school."

Akane and Keisuke nodded, while Keisuke elaborated. "Usually orphans are automatically enrolled in the ninja academy, but Akane and I don't want to be ninja."

Naruto looked up in surprise. How anyone could _not _want to be a ninja was beyond him. "What do you want to do then?"

Akane smiled brightly. "I want to be a teacher! I want to teach art class."

Keisuke took a sip of his juice before answering. "I want to be a horse trainer. I like horses and lots of people need them, right?"

Sakura could only smile and nod at the kids. "Those are both very impressive professions. I'm sure you'll both do wonderfully at them."

Sanosuke spoke next. "Well I want to be a ninja! Going on adventures and helping people and fighting off bad guys!" He started waving his arms like he was fighting and making little fight noises and Sakura laughed.

"Easy kiddo! Kakashi needs that eye that you're close to stabbing." She watched as Kakashi reared his head back again to avoid the fork that kept coming perilously close.

Sanosuke giggled as he calmed down. "Sorry, Kakashi-san!"

Sakura began to clear away empty plates and help little ones down from the table. "Why don't you boys help the kids get dressed and we'll go to the park."

Her statement caused a chorus of cheers from the kids and there was a flurry of activity as they all rushed to their rooms to find clothes. Kakashi helped her clear the table and voiced his concern to her. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Well, it's either get them outside to burn off some energy or keep them cooped up here where they can break things and make a mess. Plus, fresh air makes kids sleepy. We take them to the park and nap time will be a cinch. We let them play in the backyard before dinner and bed time will be easy as well." Sakura grinned at Kakashi and he chuckled at her.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

They returned from the park weary, the four ninja just as exhausted as the kids. They had planned on playing with them, but didn't realize that kids had an endless supply of energy. The kids went to bed easy. Sakura just tucked them in and they were out for the count.

She re-entered the living room to find her three boys passed out on the chairs and couch. Sasuke had one chair, hands folded across his stomach and head tilted back. Naruto had the other chair, head on one armrest and legs slung over the other armrest, looking every bit like he would hurt when he woke up. And Kakashi was sitting on one end of the couch, head propped in his hand. His even and deep breathing letting Sakura know he really was asleep. She smiled fondly and looked at the pile of dishes in the sink. As much as she wanted to curl up with them and nap, it looked like that wouldn't be happening. She would forgive them this time and let them rest. She threw a blanket over each of them before placing a soft kiss on each forehead and then made her way over to the kitchen.

Had she stayed longer she would have noticed Kakashi's eyes flutter open and a smile grace his features after she kissed his forehead.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

A/N: Okay, it'll have two parts since this chapter was getting looooong. So, 'Clueless, part2' should be out by next weekend. Sorry for the wait, but after work I go pick up my daughter and then I have to drive home and cook dinner and after playing with her, her bath and bedtime I'm exhausted. So I only have weekends now for fanfics. (pout) Reviews would be great! Hugs & Kisses!


	3. Clueless Part II

Hello again! Two things. One: I said in chapter one, 'three or four chapters'. It'll be longer than that. Two: Sorry I didn't update as promised! I thought giving myself a 'due date' would help me stay on track but apparently self-imposed due dates don't mean a hill of beans to me. So, here it finally is and hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. No copyright infringement is intended and this fic is only made for entertainment purposes.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Dream A Little Dream**

**Chapter 3: Clueless Part II**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It had taken Sakura the better part of two hours to clean the kitchen. Syrup was not an easy thing to wash away and the kids apparently had more syrup than anything else for breakfast. She surveyed the room and smiled. Cleaning was cathartic for the kunoichi. Healing and missions required her to be on guard and alert at all times, her brain working overtime to plan the best and worst case scenarios in a fraction of a second. Cleaning was mindless busy work, something she could do while she let her mind wander off into a daydream or just left her mind blank.

She sat at the table, intending to rest her eyes for just a moment when a wail made her groan. "Figures."

She hurried off to the nursery and almost giggled as she spotted her three men in alert fighting positions, but obviously disoriented and a bit confused after their naps. Naruto blinked to wake up the rest of the way and followed. "Was that one of the babies?"

"Yep. And I'm willing to bet that the other one will wake up from the crying of the first one." As they entered the nursery a second wail joined the first and Sakura raised a brow at Naruto. "See?"

After changing the babies and setting them in a set of baby swings they found in the living room, Naruto went into the kitchen to get a drink and stopped short. Looking at the sparkling room, he realized Sakura had been busy while they napped on _their_ mission. He threw a guilty look at his pink-haired teammate. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. I promise teme and I will do better."

Sasuke and Kakashi peeked around the corner and Sasuke frowned. "You cleaned?"

Sakura merely shrugged. "Someone had to."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Why don't you boys go wake up the other kids? We kept them out too long to have lunch, but we can give them a snack and then let them out in the backyard before dinner."

The two sauntered off to wake the others and Sakura yawned. Kakashi trained his eye on her. "Why don't you rest for a little before dinner? You know you'll have to save us all again from the boys' idea of cooking." His eye curved in a smile and Sakura giggled.

"No, no. I'm fine. Just not used to this. If I sleep, I won't be able to go to bed at a decent hour and that will only make it worse." She made her way over to the fridge, Kakashi following along. She began muttering as she rummaged around for a snack for the kids. "Snack, snack, snack." She paused and looked at her former teacher. "Ever say a word so much it doesn't sound like a word anymore?"

An eyebrow arched in amusement and he shook his head. "Seriously, you need to rest."

"Shut up." She turned her attention back to the food and cheered as she spotted a tray of vegetables with dip. "This will work! Easy and ready to be eaten."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sakura smiled happily as she watched the kids dogpile Naruto. The blonde had opted to play outside with the older kids while Sasuke sat on the shaded porch with the two newborns in their swings. Kakashi stepped up next to her as she gazed out the window above the kitchen sink. "How's dinner coming along?"

Sakura turned to the countertop grill next to the stove where some fish and vegetables were sizzling away. "It should be done in a few minutes. The rice is finished so this is all we're waiting on."

Kakashi turned so he was leaning back against the counter and folded his arms as he regarded the kunoichi. "Are you okay, Sakura?"

"You keep asking me that and I keep giving you the same answer. I'm just a little tired. You guys napped and I didn't. No big deal, now quit being a worrywart!" Her temper was fraying and she really didn't want to snap at Kakashi.

Sensing impending doom if he didn't stop with the third degree, Kakashi decided to change tactics. With a smirk hiding beneath his mask, Kakashi reached out a gloved hand and cupped Sakura's cheek. "I just don't want you to burnout. You're the only one who seems to know what they're doing on this mission."

As Sakura's eyes grew wide, displaying her shock, Kakashi tried to smother a chuckle unsuccessfully. Green eyes dimmed in realization. "You're such a jackass, Kakashi."

As she stomped over to the grill, Kakashi smiled in triumph. "What? It was the truth."

"Forget it. Just set the table. I don't have the time or patience to be part of some game you're playing." As she set the food on a large platter and set it on the table, she blinked harshly. She was exhausted, frustrated, and in an increasingly bad mood. And then Kakashi just had to go and do something affectionate, which she would give her left arm for, only to be joking. It was mounting on the young woman. And though she was normally tough as nails, she was still a woman and a good cry was starting to become a necessity.

Kakashi noticed the excessive blinking and the biting of her bottom lip as he set out the plates and frowned. He hadn't meant to make her upset. Even more confusing is why she was upset enough to cry. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I wasn't trying to be mean. I was only hoping to make you feel better."

She merely nodded. She was too close to tears to attempt speech.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Dinner was an animated experience. The kids were wound up after wrestling with Naruto outside and more than once, Sakura had to remind them to not talk with their mouth full or to watch where they were swinging their utensils. Sasuke's sharingan was the unintentional target of budding eye assassin, Sanosuke. Kakashi managed to hold in his laughter as he watched the Uchiha dodge and weave to protect his eyes, in a fashion similar to Kakashi's own breakfast adventure.

As dinner wrapped up, Naruto and Sasuke managed to shoo Sakura out of the kitchen so they could clean up this time. "It's our mission, Sakura-chan" and "Hn" reached her ears as Naruto practically shoved her into the living room. She wandered over and flopped down next to Kakashi on the couch. "Where are the kids?"

"They've gone to the playroom to play for a while before bath time."

Sakura closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the plush cushions. "As soon as those kids are asleep, I'm going to bed myself."

"I think we are all ready for bed. I know you're more tired than the boys and I are, but any good that nap did is long gone." He glanced over at Sakura who was staring at the ceiling and decided to ask a question that could quite possibly earn him a bump on the head. "Are you really okay?"

As Sakura's head turned and she glared at him, one eye twitching dangerously, he put up his hands in defense and continued. "I know you wanted me to quit asking but you seemed more upset than usual before dinner and I'm not sure what I did to make you so unhappy."

The glare diminished and Sakura let out a sigh. "It's nothing. Just overly tired, I guess. And stressed."

"Why don't you go ahead and go to bed now?"

Sakura laughed and looked at her friend, incredulous expression in place. "Are you kidding me? There's no way I'd let those two attempt bath time on their own. Need I remind you that Naruto was pureeing _ramen_ for the infants' breakfast?"

"Ah, point taken." Kakashi seemed deep in thought. "Well, why don't you let me supervise?"

"You know how to bathe kids?"

A gloved hand went to the back of a silver head. "Well, I know how to bathe dogs."

Sakura rolled her eyes and went back to staring at the ceiling. "I'll stay up. It's not the same."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Naruto elbowed his partner-in-crime none too gently, causing Sasuke's head to whip around with a scowl in place. "What is your problem, dobe?"

"Calm down! I have another idea for Sakura-chan and Kaka-sensei." The chuckling that ensued didn't bode well in Sasuke's opinion. It was that scheming without a brain chuckle Naruto used when his ideas were half-thought out at best.

"What now? Weren't the sheets enough?"

"We should plug the heating duct in their room."

"What the hell? You want to freeze our two teammates?"

Naruto waved his friend's doubt away with a soapy hand before plunging another dish into the water. "Listen, it gets kinda chilly at night so if we plug the heating duct then they'll have to huddle together for warmth."

The Uchiha sighed. Naruto meant well, but he wasn't so sure any of these ideas were good ones. "I thought you didn't want Kakashi doing 'perverted things' to Sakura. If they have to huddle and then realize their feelings, as you're hoping they do, wouldn't that lead to 'perverted things'?"

Naruto pointedly ignored the air quotes Sasuke had been using. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Just help me with that once the cleaning is finished. This is gonna work and then those two will fall in love. I can feel it!"

"Hn." He didn't share the blonde's exuberance, but he couldn't deny seeing those two together just seemed right the more he thought about it. Sakura either intimidated men or was objectified by them, but Kakashi saw her as a friend and trustworthy teammate. Kakashi was aloof and unapproachable, but Sakura knew how to read through his bullshit and do what needed to be done. They were a great match when he really analyzed the situation. "You do realize that if this doesn't work, I'm blaming everything on you."

Naruto grinned. "And when it _does_ work, I'll take all the credit."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sakura made a quick sweep of the house before bath time. "Okay, five bathrooms and seven kids. Better yet, each bathroom has its own water heater. That's perfect." She looked at the kids who were all lined up again. "Akane and Keisuke, do you guys do showers or baths?"

Keisuke puffed out his chest. "We aren't little kids, Sakura-san. We big kids do showers, not baths."

Sakura couldn't hide the amused eyebrow arch. "Well, well. Sorry for doubting you, Keisuke." She gave a soft huff of laughter before continuing. "So you two can handle your own showers while the rest of us get the little ones bathed. I'll get Ayao and Yuki cleaned up. Naruto, you take care of Sanosuke. Sasuke and Kakashi, you two will team up to bathe Makoto and Hana."

Before they could all run off to the bathrooms, Sakura's voice stopped them. "WAIT!! I'll help you get the water set up."

She took care of the water for Sanosuke's bath first and, after assuring Naruto he could handle it, left to set up the water for Makoto and Hana.

Sasuke started to turn the water on and had it set to its highest temperature. "Sasuke, babies can't handle water that hot! Look." She pulled over the two plastic baby tubs and set them into the huge tub. "See these little circles? These tell you when the water is the right temperature. Blue means it's too cold, red means it's too hot and purple means the water is perfect."

Kakashi looked at her in amazement. "For someone who said she didn't know how to take care of kids, you sure do know a lot."

"I had to do rounds in the nursery and maternity wards to become a full-fledged medic. I did my best of course, but since it wasn't something I was truly interested in, I thought I had forgotten most of it. I guess I was wrong."

Sasuke smirked at his teammate. "That or it's natural maternal instinct."

Sakura's face flamed. "God, Sasuke don't even joke about that! There is no way I'm ever having little rugrats of my own!"

Kakashi felt disappointed at her statement, which confused him. "Why?"

"I'm a kunoichi, Kakashi. I couldn't be selfish enough to have children and then leave them while I'm on a mission, not knowing if I'll come home or not. Kids don't deserve that. They should live happy, carefree lives while they can. The only way I would have kids is if I decided to devote myself solely to the hospital and if I was married. I'm not ready to give up the field. As far as marriage goes, I'm not going to marry some boring civilian and shinobi aren't usually marriage types."

"You don't need to get married to prove you love someone, Sakura. A piece of paper is only as binding as the feelings behind it." Kakashi pointed out.

"True, but a child doesn't deserve to be labeled by the civilians just because his or her ninja parents weren't married. It isn't fair to be treated differently because of choices that were beyond their control."

The conversation ended as Sakura stopped the tap. "Okay, guys. Use these soft cloths and just use a dab of soap." She pumped a small amount of liquid baby soap onto one of the cloths, wet it and rubbed the sides together to work up a lather. "You can use this to _gently_ wash the baby's hair and skin. Apply just enough pressure to leave some suds and that's all it takes. Good luck!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The rest of the evening had gone surprisingly well. Naruto had peeked into the bathroom where she was bathing Yuki and Ayao to ask where the lotion was kept so they could finish up the kids and when Sakura was done with the two girls, she had found Kakashi and Sasuke giving the two infants their bottles.

She had read a bedtime story to the girls while Naruto read a story to the boys and fifteen minutes later, the adults were off to bed themselves. Sakura peeked into the spare bedrooms and her frown increased as she found more rooms which contained either toddler beds, cribs or beds with no sheets. "Are you kidding me? Seriously."

A silver eyebrow arched as Sakura turned to them with a deep-set frown. "What's wrong?"

"There are two rooms. Each one has only one bed with sheets on it."

Kakashi looked into the rooms and saw one room with two single beds, only one with sheets and the other room contained one larger bed. "I see."

Naruto perked up. "Well, I'll gladly take the bed with no sheets. I always kick mine away anyways."

Sasuke sighed. "I'll share the room with dobe. There's no way I'm sleeping in a bed with someone else."

As the two disappeared into the room and closed the door, Kakashi started to walk towards the stairs. "I'll take the couch."

Sakura reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "You most certainly will not. We can share. We've had to do it before."

Naruto's grin grew wider as he and Sasuke listened in, each with an ear pressed to the door. "It's working." He whispered.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Sakura?"

"Why not, Kakashi? I trust you to be a gentleman."

Kakashi grinned behind his mask. "It's not me I'm worried about. Can you promise not to take advantage of me in my sleep?"

"You're such an idiot. As if."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sleeping next to a full-grown Sakura would be much tougher than it was when they had to share before. When they shared before she had been sixteen and very prudish. After building a wall of pillows between them, she had kicked at the wall in her sleep until Kakashi had ended up on the floor with a single pillow and a thin sheet while Sakura was situated in the middle of the bed in a cocoon of blankets. Kakashi could tell as soon as she emerged from the room's bathroom, shower fresh, that he was in a heap of trouble. She was gorgeous and full-grown and _legal_ and he was a man with a man's desires and needs.

After taking his turn in the shower, he found Sakura propped up in the bed flipping through a magazine. He glanced at the cover and didn't know whether to be horrified or amused. '101 Ways to Make Him Beg for More' was typed in bold red letters across the top of the cover. Maybe he could go for embarrassing her and transfer his discomfort to her. "Whatcha reading, Sakura?"

Instead of turning crimson and shoving the magazine away in a hurry, she simply flipped another page. "Some girly magazine. No matter what they name the main article, it always has the same advice just worded differently."

Kakashi inwardly groaned. His plan had backfired terribly. Instead of making her uncomfortable, he had only intensified his discomfort by realizing she read those sorts of things on a regular basis. _'Shit, shit, shit!'_

Sakura glanced up at her former sensei and grinned. "So, are you gonna take your mask off for bed?"

Kakashi sniffed, happy they were back in familiar territory. "No, I don't think so."

"Aww, come on! I've seen your face already so why not?" Sakura pouted.

"I said only on special occasions."

"And you promised I could ogle you again."

Kakashi gave a sigh. She had been working especially hard on this mission. They would have been completely lost without her and she deserved something for her extra effort. If his face would make her happy, then he would let her see it again. He hooked a finger inside the top of his mask and Sakura's lopsided grin widened into a full smile as his face was revealed again. Her cheeks started to redden with a blush and she glanced back down into her magazine, smile firmly in place.

Kakashi gave his own grin when she wasn't looking. At least he knew she found him attractive. He slid into his side of the bed and pulled out Icha Icha.

Sakura glanced over and shook her head in amusement. After nine years that book still held his attention. He giggled at a passage, which used to creep her out. However, seeing his face when he giggled was a completely different experience. His eyes brightened, his smile widened and his entire countenance changed until he looked ten years younger than his 35 years. Sakura sucked in a breath and Kakashi turned to see what was wrong, expression still in place.

"Sorry, Kakashi. It's just strange to see your facial expressions when they've been hidden for so long."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Sakura, it's just a face."

She huffed and muttered under her breath as she turned back to her magazine. "The most handsome face I've ever seen."

"What?"

Eyes wide, unaware she had spoken out loud, Sakura scrambled for an answer. "Uh, I said…'most troublesome magazine'. Hehe."

"That doesn't even make sense." Mismatched eyes narrowed in mischief as his voice deepened. "Do you find me attractive, Sakura?"

Green eyes widened and she bit her lip. _'What do I say? __**What do I say?'**_

Kakashi wiggled his eyebrows. "Hm?"

"Y-Yes." In her moment of embarrassment and because she despised shallow people, Sakura began to ramble. "But you know, I found you attractive before I saw your face, so it isn't because of that. I'm not like that. I like people because of who they are and not what they look like and you have a lot of qualities I admire in people and you're trustworthy and strong and loyal and I-" She stopped short, blush growing as she realized what she was saying. _'God, you idiot! You practically confessed that you are in love with him. Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!'_

She looked wide-eyed at a wide-eyed Kakashi and began to chuckle nervously. "Sorry. You know how I ramble."

Kakashi merely nodded and tried to smile reassuringly at her. "Well, I'm beat. Ready to go to sleep?"

She set her magazine on the night stand and nodded as she turned out the lamp on her side of the bed, Kakashi reaching for the one on his side. "Goodnight, Kakashi."

"Night, Sakura." He turned over so his back was facing the kunoichi to hide his grin. Did she find him attractive as in wanting a romantic relationship? He certainly hoped so. Despite popular belief, Kakashi wanted to love someone and be loved. However it would take an extremely strong woman to handle his faults and his peculiar habits. Sakura fit the bill and he could certainly see himself happy with the pink-headed woman. Maybe it was time to stop playing the little games they had been playing and seriously try to make his intentions known. He smiled as his genius mind conjured up various scenarios. Sakura wouldn't know what hit her.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

A/N: FINALLY! Dang, I just can't seem to shut up sometimes. This chapter got away from me. I had no intention of romance being that head-on yet. Reviews would be appreciated! Hugs & Kisses!


	4. Scheming

Hello again

Hello! You guys are all so freakin' nice! It makes me want to update quicker (although work and baby keep me from doing so). Here's chapter 4 and hope you enjoy!

I promised someone (I can't recall the name or find the PM in my email…SORRY!) that I would update this past weekend. I apologize to that person for my unintentional fib. My hubby decided to 'update' our computer which left it incapacitated for a few days. (sigh) Poor, non-computer-savvy hubby.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. This fic is only made for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Dream A Little Dream**

**Chapter 4: Scheming**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Kakashi woke up with one arm flung out of the sheets, wondering why he had an arm stuck out into the chilly air, when he realized he was uncomfortably warm on his other side. The more his brain kicked into gear, the wider his grin became as he realized _why _he was so hot. He glanced over to see Sakura huddled into his side as close as she could possibly get, arms wrapped around his arm and one leg draped over his. The room was cold, so it was natural to get closer to a heat source in one's sleep. Glancing at the clock, he frowned. It was only 2 AM, so chances of her still being there when morning came were slim to none. It would have been fun to see her reaction if she woke up in that position.

His prayers were answered when a wail broke through on the baby monitor in the room. He quickly feigned sleep, cracking one eye just enough to see Sakura's face. Her eyes snapped open and she blinked rapidly as her brain tried to catch up to what was happening. Kakashi watched as she glanced down at her position and her eyes widened as she practically flung herself away. He held in his chuckles so she wouldn't catch onto him.

She hurried over to the monitor and turned it off so it wouldn't wake him. He was surprised at her whispered statement. "Keep your stupid libido in check, Haruno. Just because you have it bad for the man doesn't mean you can molest him in your sleep."

After she closed the door and had padded off to the nursery, Kakashi sat up in bed with a silly grin on his face. _'Haha, this will be easier than you thought, Hatake! She has feelings for you; you have feelings for her, perfect!'_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As Sakura managed to miraculously rock and feed both babies simultaneously, she wondered why she was fighting her attraction to the Copy Nin at all_. 'Oh yeah. Unlucky in love ring a bell? Sheesh.'_

She wanted so badly to believe a relationship with Kakashi would work, but the man was too closed off to the world and his friends that she didn't think he even did relationships. She knew he did one-night stands and casual flings, after all she had burst in recently to see him with a woman, but she couldn't do that with him. There was too much at stake for her.

She set the babies back in their cribs and looked in on the other children before heading back to her and Kakashi's room. As she slipped back into the room and let her eyes re-adjust to the darkness, she glanced over to the bed and smiled. Kakashi had apparently made himself comfortable. He was sprawled all over the bed, arms wrapped possessively around Sakura's pillows. She shook her head in amusement as she reached out to push him over. Kakashi brushed off the first push with an unintelligible grunt. With an eye roll, Sakura pushed more firmly. Another louder grunt, but still no movement. Finally, Sakura shook his shoulder and whispered harshly. "Kakashi, wake up."

He opened sleepy eyes with a slight start. "Everything alright?"

Hoping the darkness hid her blush, Sakura nodded. How someone could look so delectable half-asleep was beyond her. "Everything's fine. But you're crowding my side of the bed and you hijacked my pillows."

"Sorry." He set her pillows back into place and scooted over to make room for the kunoichi. After granting her a sleepy smile, he was out again.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

When Sakura woke up in the morning, she wondered why she was so well-rested. She had been up with the infants two more times during the night so she should have been exhausted. Her questions were answered when she glanced at the clock. "Shit! It's 10 AM!" She bolted up and dressed in a rush before flying down the stairs two at a time. She raced into the kitchen and stopped just short of slamming into Kakashi.

"Good morning, sleepy head. I was just on my way to wake you up for breakfast." He gave her an eye crease and she started to apologize.

"I'm so sorry! I was up with the twins three times last night and I guess I just-" She stopped when a slender finger pressed against her lips. _'Don't kiss his finger. Don't kiss his finger. No matter how tempting, do not kiss that finger!'_

"No worries. I know you were up and down last night. That's why we let you sleep in. That's also why breakfast is late. It took a while for these two to put together a plan." Kakashi gave another eye crease and turned to head back to where he was filling glasses for the kids.

Sakura scuttled over to the counter to peer at the food while wondering what in the world the two needed to plan. Breakfast wasn't exactly something that needed a plan, but when it came to her two teammates nothing really surprised her anymore. "What did you boys make for breakfast?" She tried for a nonchalant tone, not wanting her teammates to pick up on her doubting their abilities.

Naruto chuckled at her poorly concealed concern. "We made muffins! It may not be much, but at least it's something. We also went to the market and bought some fresh fruit."

Sakura stammered. "You m-m-made muffins?" Oh the worry! Would it never end? And then she remembered the ramen from yesterday. "What flavor of muffin?" By God, if Naruto made ramen flavored muffins she would have to kill him.

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "No faith. Seriously. There are two flavors. Lemon poppy seed and blueberry. And the muffins are from a mix so it would have been extremely difficult to mess them up. Even for the dobe."

"Hey!"

They ignored Naruto's outburst as Sakura turned her attention to the fruit that had already been placed on the kids' plates. The older children had a choice of either grapes or bananas while the younger ones just had bananas. Kakashi smiled at her nod of approval. "Grapes are a choking hazard for the younger ones, right?"

Sakura turned a smile his way. "How did you know?"

"I picked up a few things here and there. That and all of us who are friends with Kurenai attended one or two childbirth and parenting classes with her."

Sakura giggled at the imagery as she stepped into the living room for privacy, Kakashi following along. "Did you offend all the parents-to-be with your smutty novels?" Her playfully crinkling nose had the Copy Nin fighting a smile.

"I'll have you know I didn't crack my books open at all during the class I attended with her." He raised a haughty eyebrow and it only caused another cascade of giggles from the pink-haired woman. "You know, the class I attended was highly informative. I like to learn new things." He was hoping that explaining his actions would stem the laughter, but it only seemed to increase until she was clutching her stomach. "I really don't see what's so funny."

After a few deep breaths, Sakura smiled warmly at him. "It's cute, Kakashi really. And I didn't mean to laugh at you, but the image of you sitting in a classroom that has _anything_ to do with being a parent amuses me."

"Why is that?" He crossed his arms, pout forming behind the mask.

"You just don't strike me as the parent type. I'm sure you'd be a great father, don't misunderstand. But I don't really see you as wanting children of your own." She hoped she hadn't offended him, but with Kakashi it was hard to tell.

He gave a shrug. "I don't at this point in my life. Maybe once I'm a little too old for the field I'll change my mind."

Sakura's brilliant brain began to churn. _'Dig Sakura! Dig for all you're worth!' _"But then you'd need a serious relationship with someone, wouldn't you?"

"Yes." He drawled out slowly, wondering what she was getting at.

"You don't strike me as the relationship type either. You're too private."

Kakashi tilted his head to regard her. "I don't seem to strike you as a lot of types. And just because I'm normally a private person doesn't mean I can't or won't open up to someone. It just has to be someone I know I can trust and who has a right to know all those personal things I keep from others."

The words sent a jolt of hope through Sakura's stomach and she wanted nothing more than to be the one he opened up to. She had previously thought nothing could come of her feelings for Kakashi, but hearing that he wasn't opposed to being in a serious relationship brought all of her thoughts crashing down around her. She simply nodded and smiled as she turned to head back into the kitchen when a large hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked at Kakashi in confusion and he lowered his head so his lips were by her ear. "I trust _you_, Sakura."

He stepped past the bewildered woman and into the kitchen while Sakura leaned back against the wall for support. Did he really mean it the way she thought he meant it? She hoped he did, but she couldn't shake the part of her mind that told her she was overanalyzing things and reading too much into it. She closed her eyes and took a few deep and calming breaths before heading into the kitchen herself.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sasuke watched his two teammates interact with interest. Were they flirting? No, just shy glances from Sakura and eye creases from Kakashi. But it was still odd behavior. He turned to see if Naruto noticed and saw the Kyuubi container grinning his idiotic grin again. Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes or bang his head on the table or just tell Sakura and Kakashi to start dating already or some combination of the three, but held his tongue and settled for looking down at his muffin and glaring for all he was worth. If muffins could die from glares, his would have kicked the proverbial bucket by now. He was still muffin-glaring, cursing his stubborn flirty friends and his meddling best friend, when Akane's little hand on his arm shook him from his stupor. "Sasuke-san, breakfast is over. Naruto-san wanted me to ask you if you were going to help him clean or glare at your muffin all day."

Oh, how he wanted to smack that best friend of his. He managed a tiny smile for the little girl watching him and patted her head awkwardly. "Thank you, Akane-chan." She rushed off to play and Sasuke scowled as he headed for Naruto. "Dobe, what is your problem?"

"What? You were completely out of it so I sent someone to bring you back to our world. I have another plan."

Sasuke did groan then. "We've done enough, Naruto. I can't take anymore plans."

"Oh, but it's a good one. And it's the last one, I promise."

The Uchiha just crossed his arms. "Let's hear it. If it's as half-cocked as your other plans, I'm out."

"We need to get the kids to help."

Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes – yet again – at Naruto's overly simple idea. "Help in what way?"

Blue eyes shone with excitement. "Get this. Kids pretty much always tell the truth or say it the way they see it, right? And Kaka-sensei and Sakura-chan are obvious about how they feel. So, if we get the kids to say something about it, maybe they'll think about it more and realize they'll make a good couple."

"Fine." Sasuke was so done with this. But there was that small part of him that wanted this to work so his two teammates could be happy together.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Kakashi and Sakura sat on the back porch, a baby in each lap, as they watched Naruto and Sasuke play freeze tag with the older kids. Yuki and Ayao were busy in a corner of the yard, climbing on a small plastic play set for toddlers. Kakashi looked over at Sakura, who was busy tickling Makoto's tummy. He smiled widely as he watched her eyes light up every time the infant would smile that toothless baby smile. They both knew at that age, it was probably just gas, but it still _looked_ like a smile. She was absolutely radiant. "Do you want children, Sakura?"

She frowned as she regarded the man beside her. "I told you guys last night that I don't think I'll ever have children. I would like to have them, yes. But like I said, I need to be solely doing hospital rounds and married. Neither of which are in the near future."

"You're only twenty-one. You still have plenty of time." Kakashi bounced little Hana lightly and Sakura smiled warmly at him.

"I suppose I do. It isn't unusual for women to have children into their forties now. It isn't ideal, but possible." She studied the little boy in her arms for a moment longer. "I really do want kids someday. Just look at this." She swept an arm to indicate the yard and the children playing. "We were going on missions, trying to rescue a teammate and fighting evil villains at just twelve years old! Having kids would give us a chance to feel innocent and young again. Not only that, but just…can you imagine how wonderful and fulfilling it must be to have someone love you unconditionally, faults and all? Or to raise these little people that you had a hand in creating and watch them grow into great people? It must be wonderful and I want to experience that."

Kakashi could only nod. "I guess it would be great, when the time is right."

A loud scream pierced the air and their heads whipped around to look into the yard, where Sanosuke was sitting in the grass, his leg bent at an awkward angle. Sakura handed Makoto to Kakashi who was hot on her heels as she raced over to the injured child. "What happened?"

Naruto was wringing his hands in concern and Sasuke was wide-eyed. "We were playing tag. That's all I know, I didn't see it happen."

Sakura knelt down by Sanosuke's leg. "Sanosuke honey, I need you to look at me. Look up at my face, sweetie." The little boy looked up with frightened eyes as he continued to cry and holler. "I can heal your leg, but I need you to calm down, okay?"

Kakashi looked at the leg and noticed Sakura's hand was already glowing with chakra as it hovered over the break. It was out of line, though. She'd have to set that before she could really heal it. He could only guess that's why she was trying to get his attention.

Sakura finished numbing the leg, but she still didn't want Sanosuke looking at it. "Hey Sanosuke, do you want to see a magic trick?"

Since his leg was numb and he wasn't looking at it, his yells had stopped but he was still crying as he nodded at the medic. Sakura set the leg quickly while he wasn't paying attention and finished healing the break. "Okay, I can show you a really cool magic trick." She pulled the little boy into her lap and looked at a cut he had just above his knee from the fall.

"You see this cut?"

A nod.

"Watch." She placed a glowing hand over the cut and counted. "One, two, three!" She removed her hand to show a perfect knee once again. "Not only is your broken leg healed, but your cut is gone also."

Sanosuke turned in Sakura's lap so his head was on her shoulder as he continued to cry softly. Sakura rocked back and forth. "I know, sweetie. It was scary, wasn't it?"

He nodded into her shoulder as he struggled to catch his breath. "Come on. Let's go get you cleaned up." Sakura stood with the four year old and headed into the house.

Naruto rubbed at his face as his pulse returned to its normal rate. "I'm so glad, Sakura-chan was here. I was about to panic."

Sasuke merely nodded and continued to observe Kakashi, who seemed slightly off as he stared in the direction Sakura had just gone.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Kakashi entered the house to find Sakura sitting on the couch with Sanosuke in her lap, reading a book to him. Sakura looked up and smiled tiredly. "Hey. Where are the others?"

"I left Hana and Makoto with Naruto and I think Sasuke is gathering the other kids to come inside for a while." He sat next to the two on the couch. "How are you feeling, little man?"

Sanosuke gave a tiny smile as he spoke quietly. "My leg still hurts a little."

Sakura ruffled his curly hair. "It will be sore for a day or two. But much better than the weeks it would take to heal without a medic, right?"

The little boy yawned and Sakura stood up with him. "I think you need to lie down for a while. It's been a busy afternoon." She settled him in and Sasuke and Naruto put the others down for naps as they filed into the house.

Sakura was leaning back on the couch with her eyes closed as she felt warmth seep into either side of her and on the front of her legs. She smiled and opened her eyes to find her boys surrounding her. Naruto and Kakashi were leaning against her sides and Sasuke was situated on the floor leaning against her legs. "What are you guys doing?"

Naruto ignored her question. "I'm so glad you're here with us, Sakura-chan. That was scary."

Sasuke shook his head and Sakura giggled slightly as the strands of his hair tickled her legs. "You've seen countless battles and injured comrades, but a broken leg scares you?"

"Shut up, teme! A grown shinobi and a four year old little boy are two entirely different things."

Kakashi silently snuggled into Sakura's side more and she smiled widely. "I'm tired, boys. Let's just nap for a little while here."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sakura woke up with that warm and fuzzy feeling. Naruto had moved away from her, probably because he got too hot. Sasuke had shifted so he was lying on the floor, but Kakashi was still propped against her side with one arm spread across her lap. Sakura was enjoying it, but she really needed to get up. It was time to wake the kids and check on Sanosuke's leg.

The arm across her lap moved to her waist and tightened in a semi-hug. "Are you awake?" Kakashi's deep voice gained a smile from the kunoichi.

"Yes. And I think it's time for everyone else to wake up as well."

The arm around her waist tightened a little more as he gave a groan of disappointment. "I'm comfortable", he whined.

"Don't complain. You're a big boy now." She ruffled his silver hair slightly and watched with barely restrained laughter as he lifted his head to glare at her. "Besides if we don't get the kids up now they'll be up late tonight and I need to check Sanosuke's leg."

"Fine, fine. I'll wake up these two."

Sakura giggled as she watched Kakashi somewhat gently kick at her boys to wake them up.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Naruto and Sasuke were playing with the kids in the playroom while Sakura and Kakashi prepared dinner. "You know, this is probably the only time we'll have all of the kids together with just the two of us."

Sasuke nodded at Naruto and realized the game he was playing. "I know. If we're going to recruit these kids into our mission, we'll need to do it now."

Sanosuke's head snapped up. "Mission? What mission? Will we be like ninja?"

Naruto grinned conspiratorially at the little boy. "Very much so. Do you all like Sakura-san and Kakashi-san?"

Several emphatic nods were the response.

Naruto continued. "Well, they like each other. As in like like. You know, boyfriend and girlfriend like. But neither of them knows that the other likes them. So we were hoping you guys would help us in getting them to admit it."

Keisuke made a face like he was disgusted. "Girls have cooties."

Akane took offense with his comment. "You be quiet, Keisuke-kun! Girls do not have cooties and boys are yucky!"

Sasuke put up his hands to stall the impending fight. "That's enough! No one has cooties and no one is yucky." He looked to the ceiling, wondering how a shinobi with elite abilities such as his, was stuck talking about cooties and who was yucky or not. "Look, we need your help. Are you in or out?"

Sanosuke was grinning, a grin that eerily reminded Sasuke of Naruto's scheming grin. It wasn't a good sign. "I'm in. What do we do?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Dinner and bath time had sped past and the ninja were grateful. Even though the kids were well-behaved for the most part, it was still a tiring job to take care of them. They were getting ready to usher the kids into their rooms when Keisuke made a request. "Hey, could you tell us a story about one of your missions for our bed time story?"

Akane's eyes brightened. "Yeah! One with a pretty princess and love!"

Sanosuke pitched in his two cents. "Ooh and pirates!"

Naruto was laughing heartily. "We didn't have any missions that contained all of those things! It sounds like it would have been a fun mission though."

With a pout, Sanosuke looked to Sakura. "Could you guys make one up?"

That pout, the dimples, the curly hair. Sakura was powerless to refuse. "I suppose we could come up with something."

Akane settled herself on the couch, teddy bear clutched to her chest. "Can you act it out?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Ayao gave a shy smile as she wandered away from Sanosuke's side and went over to Sakura, playing her part perfectly. "You the princess." Sakura grinned widely at her boys mouthing 'so cute' about Ayao's imperfect toddler speech. The little one pointed at Kakashi and said, "prince" quickly before rushing back to Sanosuke.

Kakashi chuckled and moved Yuki from his lap to the couch next to Akane. The little girl gave a tiny whine at being separated from her new best friend, but calmed down when Akane let her hold that beloved teddy bear.

Naruto and Sasuke were cast as pirates and the story unfolded as each one took a turn telling part of the story. At the end, the prince and princess of course lived happily ever after and the pirates had turned good after seeing the error of their ways. Akane chimed in at the end. "Hey, the prince and princess need to kiss! It's how all good fairy tales end!"

Sakura gave a nervous glance to the jounin next to her. Not one to pass up an opportunity, Kakashi gave her an eye crease. "You know, she's right." When Sakura just looked at him in disbelief, he sighed. "Quick and on the cheek, alright?" Sakura could deal with that and gave a nod. With a bright blush, Kakashi and Sakura quickly and lightly kissed each other on the cheek. There was a chorus of 'ooooh' and the two chuckled as they pulled back.

Naruto exchanged a glance with Sasuke that spoke volumes of how proud he was of himself.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As the two slipped into bed that night, Kakashi's genius mind was conjuring up new ways to let Sakura know his intentions. He didn't want to just come out and say it; partly because he didn't know _what_ to say and partly because he knew whatever he _did_ say would come out wrong.

Sakura, on the other hand, had to know what was going on. Kakashi had been acting strange and she couldn't allow her imagination to run wild. It would get her hopes up and that was a dangerous thing. She glanced at the handsome man next to her, his back facing her as he lay on his side. "Kakashi, what is going on with you? You've been acting weird today."

When no reply came, she carefully leaned over to see his face and frowned when he appeared to be asleep. "Shoot. Don't play with my emotions, Hatake. I can't take it if you're not serious. I'm in too deep already."

After she settled back and began to fall asleep, Kakashi's eyes cracked open and a smile spread on his uncovered face. _'Soon enough, Sakura.'_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

A/N: I want to thank equivalent exchange who gave me the idea to include the kids in the scheming. I hadn't even considered the idea, but once it was mentioned I really wanted to include it. So, THANK YOU! Hope you all enjoyed and if it's not too much trouble, please review! Hugs & Kisses!


	5. Convergence

Well, hubby's 'maintenance' crashed my desktop. So, after grieving the loss of all of my files (including what I had written for this chapter) I got a new laptop and can now continue. Also, due to the loss of my Microsoft Office, I'm using a different word processor so if things look odd, please forgive me. I'm still learning this new one. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. This fic is made purely for entertainment purposes and not monetary gain.

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Dream A Little Dream

Chapter 5: Convergence

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She had that feeling she was being watched. The presence wasn't threatening, but it still made Sakura a bit wary knowing someone was staring at her. She opened her eyes and found little Ayao just inches from her face. Surprised by her close proximity, Sakura reared her head back, smacking Kakashi right in the middle of his forehead in the process. She could hear him groaning in the background as she focused on the child in front of her.

"What do you need, sweetie?"

"Potty."

With a soft smile, the kunoichi slipped from bed to escort the toddler to the restroom. When she returned a few moments later, she found her former sensei and current love interest laying on the bed with an ice pack pressed to his rapidly bruising forehead.

She gave him an apologetic smile, kneeled next to him on the bed and moved the pack so she could heal it for him. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I didn't mean to whack you in the face."

He waved it off. "No worries. Did you take care of the potty situation?"

Green eyes closed as she giggled. "I just don't understand kids. There is a bathroom right across from the girls' room, but she had to come all the way to our room which is at the end of a dark hallway so I could go with her because the bathroom was dark."

Kakashi lay still with his eyes closed and Sakura thought maybe he was back to sleep until he spoke suddenly. "Kids are a mystery."

"That was a delayed response. I thought you had fallen asleep."

"Sorry. Just thinking."

Curiosity peaked, Sakura arched an eyebrow. "About?"

His closed eyes crinkled as he smiled. "My, aren't you a nosy one."

Sakura huffed. "I'll have you know that's a common response to that statement." She removed her hand from his healed forehead and scurried back under the blankets. "Why is it so cold in here?"

"No idea."

"Maybe it's because we're farthest from the heating unit."

"Possibly."

The young woman narrowed her eyes at the handsome man next to her. "Why so quiet?"

Kakashi finally opened his eyes and looked at Sakura. "Why so talkative? It is three a.m., you know."

"Okay, you have a point. Sorry, I get chatty when I'm tired." She yawned and attempted to curl into a ball under the blankets.

"Are you really that cold?"

"Freezing!"

Being a practical man, and an opportunist, the shinobi smiled widely. "We can fix that." With a quick yank, Sakura was cradled against his chest, his arm wrapped securely around her waist.

Sakura stiffened quickly. "Kakashi! What are you doing?"

"The best way to get warm is to share body heat. What? Don't you want to be spooned by the example of manly perfection behind you?" The Copy Nin knew the answer seeing as she had already stopped trying to move away.

Sakura tapped her chin in thought. "Now how do I respond without hurting Kakashi's feelings?"

"Hey!"

Sakura laughed. "Really, am I supposed to pass up the opportunity to get in a jab at you? You left the door _wide_ open for that one."

"Yeah, yeah. Settle down and go to sleep." He smiled devilishly as a thought occurred to him.

Sakura had just relaxed and gotten used to being pressed against Kakashi when she thought she felt something touch her neck. _'Did he just...kiss my neck?'_ She shook her head slightly at the thought and Kakashi grinned at the subtle motion.

"Something wrong, Sakura?"

"Ehehehe. No, n-nothing. 'Night!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi woke up to the sound of Naruto singing loudly in the shower down the hall. Not the best way to wake up. The blond sang off key and only knew a few words to his song choice, so it was an endless loop of the same couple phrases. Mismatched eyes closed with a cringe as Naruto decided to try a higher pitch to the song and ended up cracking his voice more than once in the high falsetto he was using. He smirked as he heard rapid footsteps and a few loud bangs on the bathroom door.

"SHUT UP DOBE OR I POISON YOUR FOOD!"

The Copy Nin couldn't help but chuckle. He knew it was only a matter of time before Naruto and Sasuke tried to kill each other. They were fine on extended missions, since there were usually plenty of enemies to release one's aggression on. But with this cooped up and non-enemy mission, their tempers were starting to fray. Well, Sasuke's anyway, but Naruto always did have a knack for annoying the normally stoic man.

He reached over to wake the team's kunoichi, and the only one who knew what to do on this mission, when a sudden mischievous smile crossed his lips. He stood up and crept around the bed to her side, then slowly and gently lowered his hands so they hovered just above her shoulders. At the same time he grabbed both shoulders and pushed up and down rapidly so she was bouncing none too gently on the bed while loudly telling her to wake up. It was a game he and his mother used to play when he was little. She would push him so he bounced and he would giggle loudly while trying to pretend he was sleeping. This was a bit rougher than his mother played, but still...

Sakura's eyes shot open and due to the air being forced from her lungs only got out broken phrases. "Ka-ka-shi! What..are...you...doi-i-iing?"

He released the younger woman and watched in amusement as she glared at him. "What the hell kind of wake up is that?!" He merely smiled back before heading into the bathroom to shower.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When he came back out, he smiled softly at Sakura. She had fallen back to sleep sitting up it seemed. Her chin rested on her palm, elbow on her knee, legs folded in front of her and under the blankets. Kakashi called out to her softly and she jerked awake, sleepily dragging her way into the bathroom. Her hair was a mess, her eyes dull, she lurked more than walked, she certainly wasn't beautiful first thing in the morning. But Kakashi did find her adorable, in an odd sort of way. Maybe it was just because he knew the young woman would be so gorgeous when she was awake that he could overlook her ogre-ish morning appearance.

He sat on the bed mulling over what to do. He needed to tell Sakura how he felt. It was becoming harder each night to sleep next to her and behave himself. That and the fact that he was quite plainly smitten. Problem was, he had no idea what to say. He didn't want to go for the corny, mushy approach, that just wasn't him. He didn't want to just say it without any romance, that would disappoint her and she wouldn't believe him anyway. He needed help.

He heard Sanosuke talking to Ayao a little ways down the hall. "I can't wait until Sakura-san and Kakashi-san become a couple. That will be the completion of my first ever mission! Naruto-san and Sasuke-san are counting on us, Ayao-chan!"

Kakashi's eyes widened as he heard Ayao give a confident, "Hai!"

The kids were trying to get them together? Sasuke and Naruto, too? He quickly left the room looking for his other two former students.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto hummed happily as he filled cereal bowls and buttered toast. _This_ he could handle! Sasuke was on high-chair duty, grumbling as he fiddled with the trays. When Kakashi came into the kitchen, eyes crinkling happily, they knew something was up. The man wasn't prone to smiling for no reason. Naruto stopped his humming and threw a glance at Sasuke who was watching their former sensei closely.

"Something you boys want to tell me?" If he hadn't overheard Sanosuke and Ayao, their reactions still would have given them away. Instead of answering at all, Naruto seemed to find sudden interest in the tub of butter while Sasuke just continued with the high-chairs. Both completely silent and avoiding looking at Kakashi. He cleared his throat and motioned the two of them over into a corner. "Have you two been trying to set Sakura and I up?"

Naruto began to chuckle nervously, hand rubbing the back of his head. "Well, you see...you two seem to really like each other...and so...teme and I thought...maybe..."

Kakashi shook his head with a sigh. "Don't get uncomfortable, I'm not mad."

Sasuke and Naruto seemed to perk up at this. "Really? Even though we were meddling?" Sasuke was still a bit wary of the Copy Nin.

"Look, it's fine. I actually was needing some help anyway. I want to tell Sakura how I feel but I just don't know what to do. This sort of thing isn't exactly my forte."

Naruto grinned and Sasuke groaned. Kakashi was just confused. "What?"

Sasuke ran a hand down his face. "Dobe has a plan. They've all been his plans. They're all half-thought out and impulsive. That grin is not a good sign."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura practically skipped down the steps. She slept soundly pressed up against the man she loved and had possibly the most heavenly shower ever. She wasn't wakened by wailing babies, though she doubted being manhandled by Kakashi was much better. Then she remember his strong hands and the way his face lit up as he played. _'Oh, definitely better.' _ She entered the kitchen and her mood continued to brighten as she noticed the boys had made another decent breakfast without her help. "Good morning!" she chirped.

The three men returned her greeting and then Sasuke and Naruto watched Kakashi watching Sakura as the kids greeted her. She was smiling and laughing as each one hugged her and her two teammates watched as Kakashi's eye crinkled as he watched with a fond expression. Naruto grinned. "You really love her don't you?"

"I think so."

Sasuke smirked. "Well it won't be too hard. We know she feels the same way, so all we have to do is tell her how you feel."

Kakashi sighed. "That's the hard part."

Sakura signaled them all to come eat and after breakfast, they were getting ready to take the kids to the park when a loud clap of thunder rumbled overhead and the tell-tale patter of rain could be heard. The kids groaned in disappointment and Sakura smiled sympathetically. "Now, now. Just because we can't go outside doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves inside. We can still find ways to play."

While Sasuke and Naruto put the twins down for a nap, Sakura and the kids were in the playroom trying to decide on a game. She spotted a bright red blanket, a massive thing, in one corner and pulled it out. "How about we sneak up on Kakashi-san?"

Sanosuke's eyes lit up. "Like ninja?"

Sakura grinned. "Just like ninja. Now, he's downstairs reading, so he's probably distracted. That's our advantage."

They all tried to quietly tiptoe down the stairs, but to Kakashi's sensitive ears it sounded much like a herd of elephants. He smirked slightly while he continued to read, wondering what they were up to.

Sakura draped the blanket so they were all covered and began to lead the way. She would stop every now and then and make shushing noises to the giggling kids and Kakashi had to hold in his snickers. It was immensely entertaining.

When they were right in front of him, he listened as Sakura counted to three and then braced himself as the kids all launched themselves at him. Sakura stood to the side, smiling fondly as the group rolled and giggled. She had wondered a few times during this mission if Kakashi would make a good father. As she watched the little monsters trample Kakashi's spleen, she realized that yes, he would be a wonderful father. Her musings were cut short when a gloved hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the fray.

She rolled and laughed with the rest of them, everyone wrestling in some sort of battle royale. As the adrenaline from sneaking up on Kakashi wore off, the kids decided to play hide and seek and Sakura and Kakashi had no choice but to join.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later, ninja and children alike were all lounging around in the living room. After hide and seek came puppet shows followed by Naruto and Sasuke entertaining everyone with a competition of who could build the highest tower of blocks. Sasuke winning since Naruto didn't bother with a strategy and just kept piling the blocks up.

That brought them to this moment. Yuki was propped against Kakashi's side, almost asleep and Sanosuke and Ayao weren't far behind as they each rested their heads on Sakura's lap. Naruto and Sasuke gathered the three and put them in their beds for naps while Sakura and Kakashi watched Akane and Keisuke play with the blocks.

The two kids whispered something to each other and then with a sigh, Akane turned to Sakura. "Do you have a boyfriend, Sakura-san?"

Eyes wide, Sakura shook her head slowly. "No. Not at this point in time."

With a grin, Akane continued. "Do you want one?"

The pink-headed kunoichi tilted her head to the side with a wry grin. "What's with the questions, Akane-chan?"

"Just curious. Cause I know someone who's got a crush on you." She giggled and Sakura leaned forward in interest.

"Ooh, who is it?"

Akane's hair shifted quickly as she shook her head. "Can't tell you. It's a secret."

Kakashi felt relief flood him. He was worried for a second that the kid would spill the beans and this is definitely not how he wanted to tell Sakura.

Keisuke turned his attention to Kakashi. "What about you, Kakashi-san? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Nope."

"Do you have a crush on anyone?"

Kakashi considered his options. He didn't want to say 'yes' and have Sakura think he was interested in someone else and he didn't want to say 'no' since Sakura would think he wasn't interested in her. He was doomed either way really. "I don't want to answer that."

Akane frowned at him. "You're no fun, Kakashi-san."

Sakura leaned towards the little girl conspiratorially. "I could have told you that." She looked over to Kakashi and gave him a playful smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two more days had passed full of rain. The patience of everyone was beginning to fray. The kids were beginning to fight amongst themselves and the ninja - even though they enjoyed the children - were missing their own homes despite being within village walls. It was Day Six, and Sakura was anxious for the mission to end. Kakashi hadn't been blatantly flirtatious, and she was thankful because she knew she couldn't take it if he was.

She was currently sitting next to Kakashi on the couch, talking to Makoto and Hana as they sat in their baby swings.

"They can't understand you, can they?"

Sakura smiled at the Copy Ninja. "Well, how else would they learn but by hearing the language?"

At that moment Sasuke stepped into the doorway, shaking the excess water from his umbrella. Kakashi stood. "I'm going to grab a glass of water. Do you want anything?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, thank you."

As Kakashi headed into the kitchen, Sasuke followed whispering. "It's all set up. All you need to do is be ready at 6:00 pm. Seriously, Kakashi, 6:00."

"What about Sakura?"

Naruto grinned from his spot in the doorway. "I've got the kids on it. Don't you worry!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Sorry it's sort of short. This was the best spot I could find to stop. Trust me, the next chapter is the one I've been waiting for and it's going to be quite lengthy! I wouldn't dare break up what's coming next! Reviews would be appreciated!


	6. Reveal

Yay! Chapter 6! I'm so psyched to write this. Hopefully you're just as happy to read it. Enjoy!

Warning: Fluff ahead. Enough to choke you. You've been warned.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. This fic is purely made for entertainment purposes and not monetary gain.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dream A Little Dream

Chapter 6: Reveal

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Ino came to the orphanage doors later that evening, Sakura looked at her with confusion. "Ino-Pig? What are you doing here?"

When the blonde gave her a scheming grin and held up a toiletry bag and a garment bag, Sakura's confusion grew. "Wha-?"

"Alright, Forehead. We've got some work to do. Show me the room you're staying in."

Head reeling, Sakura stepped aside to let her friend in. When the kids came forward in interest about the newcomer, Ino gave a squeal. "Oh, they're all so cute! Why do you always get the best missions?"

Sakura smiled and made the introductions, Ino pointing out something cute about each child as they went. She smiled again as she thought about why Ino was so interested in the kids. It was no secret she and Chouji were trying to have a baby. Despite Ino's almost obsessive interest in fashion and gossip, Sakura knew the woman was also a nurturer and would make a great mom. As Ino was pinching a scowling Sanosuke's chubby cheeks, Sakura cleared her throat. "So, you never told me what you're doing here."

The blonde clapped her hands in excitement. "Well, I was summoned here because you have been working entirely too hard on a mission that you were merely supposed to supervise." When Sakura just arched a brow at her, she continued. "Sasuke came by this morning and said I needed to be here around 3:30 or 4:00 to make you gorgeous. Well...actually he said 'to do whatever it is you girls do to get ready to go out.' And here I am! Let's get started!"

"Wait, wait, wait. Where am I supposedly going?"

At this question Akane smiled at her. "It's a secret."

Green eyes glittered as the kunoichi smiled at the kids gathered. "Are you guys in on this?"

When all she got were a bunch of smiles and giggles, she got her answer. She then began to wonder what the guys were up to. They had disappeared earlier, saying they needed to get something in the market. She had been elbow deep in laundry, so she hadn't even thought about asking why they _all_ needed to go. It seemed kind of suspicious now and Sakura didn't like being kept in the dark.

Ino's voice snapped her out of her contemplative trance. "Hey, Forehead! Earth to Sakura!" The pink headed kunoichi blinked quickly as a hand waved in front of her face. "Come on! We don't have forever to get you ready."

The kids followed along and seated themselves along the bed as Ino shoved Sakura into the bathroom. "Shower and put this on when you're done." A bathrobe was shoved into her hands and she went to do as she was told. It was pointless to argue with Ino when she got like this. And truth be told, Sakura was curious and decided to go along with it. What harm could come from getting dressed up, right?

She still shot a dirty look to Ino and Keisuke spoke up. "Come on, Sakura-san. We promise you'll like what's going on."

Well how could she argue when the kids were so darn cute and obviously a part of whatever was going on. With a sigh, she hopped into the shower and immediately heard a yell from Ino. "Shave, Forehead! Shave whatever needs to be shaved for a date!" Face flaming, Sakura did as she was instructed.

Once she was cleaned and dried, Ino shoved a bottle of lotion into Sakura's hands and sent her back into the bathroom. "Lotion everything, Sakura. Trust me on this!"

Sakura obediently followed Ino's instructions: lotion, self-manicure, self-pedicure. She painted her toes a deep red since she didn't like anybody touching her feet, while Ino painted her finger nails the same shade. While they dried, Ino set to work on Sakura's hair. The candy colored strands were just long enough to loop into a bun. It wasn't the elaborate old-fashioned buns worn with a kimono, but Ino stuck a decorative stick in the bun anyway. A silver stick with three jade beads hanging from the end, it was a beautiful compliment to the kunoichi. Ino squatted in front of her best friend and smiled brightly when she caught the frown on Sakura's face. "Just enjoy it, Forehead. It's for a good cause."

She brushed Sakura's bangs to the side, raising the brush slightly as she did so they didn't stick to her forehead, causing a very slight under curl. "Perfect."

The kids had gotten bored, left to play in the playroom and then came back to see how Sakura looked. Ayao smiled shyly as she peered up at Sakura from behind Sanosuke. "Pretty."

Sakura melted at the softly spoken word and gave a soft grin to the little girl. "Thank you very much, Ayao-chan." The grin turned playful. "So, will _you_ tell me what's going on?"

The two-year old giggled. "Secret."

Sakura heard the men enter the house and then loud footsteps as Naruto came up the stairs, calling for Sakura. There was no urgent tone in his voice, so Ino put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Don't move." She made her way to the door and stepped outside, yelling loud enough that Sakura and the children inside the room could hear her. "NARUTO! DON'T YOU DARE ENTER THAT ROOM OR I'LL BE FORCED TO TAKE OVER YOUR MIND AND MAKE YOU DO SOME VERY EMBARRASSING THINGS!" Satisfied with her rant, she re-entered and got to work on Sakura's make-up.

"Ino-pig, I hate make-up!"

"I'm not putting much on you, Forehead. Relax. Just a little eyeliner and a little lip gloss." She stepped back and cocked her head to the side. "Okay, red lip gloss and a touch of mascara." She stepped back again and squealed. "Oh, you look so great!"

Ino shooed all the kids from the room. "Okay, everyone out! Sakura-san needs to get dressed now."

Sakura watched as Ino moved to the garment bag. She wasn't at all prepared for what the blonde removed. "Oh my god! Ino, it's breathtaking!"

"I know. And it suits you perfectly."

Several more pieces followed and Ino took a deep breath before wrapping Sakura in the yards of expensive silk. It wasn't often that kunoichi had much use for a kimono and even the fashion conscious Yamanaka had to take a minute to think every now and then about what went where and how to tie it.

Sakura held her breath as Ino tied the pink under kimono around her waist and then felt butterflies in her stomach as Ino held up the outer piece. Pink and white sakura petals fluttered down a red background, sparse at the top of the garment and a blanket of them covering the bottom. Ino fastened the similarly decorated obi with a pink obi cord and stepped back to admire her handiwork. "Gods, Sakura. If you dressed up more often you'd have every man in this village falling at your feet."

Sakura giggled. "That sounds like a reason _not _to dress up, if you ask me." She had Ino help her slide on the white tabi followed by the elegant black zori. "These things are so uncomfortable." Sakura frowned as she took a few tiny steps in the traditional footwear.

"Suck it up for fashion, girlie. And you don't have to wear them all night." Ino pulled out a duffel bag and placed jeans, a fluffy white sweater and more comfortable shoes inside.

"What are those for?"

"You'll see." As she zipped the bag closed, she straightened with a startled look on her face. "Sakura! Tell me you're wearing sexy panties with a matching bra!" She hadn't checked since she was so worried about getting the kimono right.

Sakura's jaw dropped at her best friend's audacity. "Pig! What kind of question is that?!"

"An important one. Now answer!"

Ino's stubbornness was common knowledge in the village. And no one knew that better than Haruno Sakura. With a sigh and a blush, she answered. "The dark red ones with the black lace overlay."

Ino's eyes lit up. "The boy shorts style that I made you buy with the matching bra?"

Sakura nodded, face flaming in embarrassment.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Forehead! Those are perfect!"

"Ino, I'm not going to have sex if that's what you're thinking." Sakura sighed.

The blonde smiled softly at her friend, a knowing look in her eyes. "Riiight." She circled her friend once more and checked the clock. 5:58 PM. "Let's head downstairs."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi was hurried along by his two former students. Not that he had any intentions of being late, but his word on the subject wasn't good enough for the two young men. Borrowing their room, he showered, shaved and dressed in a traditional men's kimono (along with mask much to Naruto's chagrin) and he was ready to go. "Is everything really in place, Sasuke?"

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Sasuke nodded. "Ino is helping Sakura get ready, you have reservations in one of The Mansions private rooms at 6:30, the movie tickets are purchased and Harada-san gave me the key. Ino knows to pack Sakura some casual clothes and I have your clothes packed here."

Naruto grinned. "All you have to do is work up the courage to tell her how you feel."

Shooting a dark look at the blonde, Kakashi groaned. "That was the whole problem to begin with."

The Kyuubi container waved a hand. "With this date, it shouldn't be so hard. I'm sure she'll have a pretty good idea as the night progresses anyway."

Kakashi took a few calming breaths before checking over his outfit one more time. "How do I look?"

Sasuke was so tired of matchmaking. This really wasn't his thing. "You look fine. It's all on straight and tied correctly. Now go!"

Kakashi and the boys made it downstairs at 5:56. Naruto chuckled. "You're actually early."

"I wouldn't dare miss a second of this." Kakashi gave an eye crease and willed the fluttering in his stomach to die down. As he heard footfalls he straightened and watched the stairs, but it was the children running down to see them off. Naruto and Sasuke ushered the kids aside so Kakashi would have a clear view of the stairs when Sakura descended. He didn't have to wait long.

They heard the door open and all jaws dropped as Sakura appeared at the top of the stairs. She was absolutely breathtaking. She looked up from the floor and her gaze fell on Kakashi, causing her to pause.

He was free of any eye patch or forehead protector, letting his hair fall messily around his face. He had the darn mask on, but she'd get him to remove it later. He had on a traditional black kimono, covered by gray and black pinstriped hakama and then the outer haori with a white tie. He was also wearing the traditional tabi and sandals.

She heard Ino whispering at her to move and blinked out of her stupor. She managed to make her way gracefully down the stairs, despite the baby steps she was forced to take. She made her way to stand in front of Kakashi and gave him a shy smile.

Oh, he was so far in over his head. She was a goddess and he had no idea what he did to deserve this, but he was thanking every divine being listening. He just prayed he could make it through dinner without assaulting the poor woman in a fit of lust.

"Kakashi, I have no idea what's going on, but judging from your attire I have a feeling you're involved in this somehow."

Kakashi had to check a groan. Even her voice was different. Softer, breathier. He doubled his prayer speed, hoping to get more of them in. Naruto nudged him and it brought him back to reality. He gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was hoping you'd...um..." This would have been hard privately, but now he had an audience. "I...Would you like to go out with me tonight, Sakura?"

She blushed at the jounin in front of her. "I'd be honored, Kakashi." He was just too damn cute with his discomfort.

Ino spoke from the doorway, the two bags with extra clothes slung over her shoulders. "I'm going to run these ahead to the restaurant. Have a nice night!"

Kakashi offered Sakura his arm which she daintily accepted and the two were off.

Once the couple was out of earshot, Naruto turned to the kids and the group gave a round of cheers.

Sasuke smirked from his spot by the front door. "Damn, I'm good."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura dared to run her thumb ever so lightly along the bicep she was holding and wanted to swoon. Kakashi was definitely a man in shape. She raised her eyes and saw him looking down at her.

"You look beautiful, Sakura."

"Thank you. You look very handsome yourself." She unsuccessfully fought the blush she felt rising to her cheeks. "Although..."

Kakashi's eyes widened. "What?" _'What did I do wrong? Crap!'_

"You're still wearing the mask." She smiled cheekily at the Copy Nin.

Kakashi bent down so he could whisper in her ear. "Only out in public. Wait till we get to the restaurant."

Now that her heartbeat was pounding in her ears, Sakura had to give it a minute before she could speak again. "Where are we going?"

"The Mansion."

"WHAT?! That place is way too expensive! If you just wanted to thank me for doing a little extra on this mission, Ichiraku would have sufficed."

Kakashi's eye creased as he smiled at the young woman. "I'm not just thanking you for your hard work, Sakura. I have other reasons."

Sakura waited for him to elaborate, but he kept mum and she decided to just enjoy the peaceful walk to the restaurant and the comfortable silence between them.

They reached the restaurant which sat in the pricier business district in Konoha and Sakura looked at it in awe. She had never been inside the place, knowing she'd need an entire week's salary just to eat a meal there. The dark wood doors with gold door handles swung open as employees held the door for the couple and greeted them. Once inside, Sakura marveled at the soft golden glow cast by a candle on each table and a few romantic fireplaces. The floors were a dark hardwood that matched the walls and added to the atmosphere. Kakashi stepped up to the hostess's podium and an older woman in a nice kimono greeted them. "Good evening. Do you and the lovely lady have reservations?"

"It should be under Hatake for 6:30."

The woman looked over her list and smiled. "Ah, yes. Please follow me." The woman led them up a spiral staircase and down a hallway lined with numerous doors. She opened the last one and stepped inside to place their menus on the low table inside. "I hope you and your lovely wife enjoy your meal."

Once she stepped out and closed the door, Sakura and Kakashi exchanged a look and broke down laughing. Sakura smiled at the man next to her as she got her giggles under control. "Well _dear_, should we sit down?"

Kakashi smirked. "After you, my love."

Sakura situated herself among the many pillows placed around the table and looked around her. If possible this private room was even more romantic than the floor of the restaurant. A low window sat next to their table, overlooking a gorgeous garden filled with flowers and a small stone path leading to a koi pond. On the wall by Sakura, a fireplace let off a glow and on the table was a single candle, just like the tables downstairs. The room was tiny, but that made it all the more intimate. "Kakashi, this is amazing." She didn't know for sure what was going on, but she hoped like hell this was a date. She was already in love with this man and he was just making her fall harder with this.

"Not as amazing as you." Kakashi blushed. _'Oh smooth, genius.' _But the way Sakura's eyes lit up made him feel better about his corny line.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Once their food was ordered and delivered, Sakura watched in anticipation as Kakashi removed his mask so he could eat. She had seen him mask less plenty of times now, but it never ceased to strike her how beautiful he was. Hoping he wouldn't notice her blush, she smiled at him. "So, did you do all this by yourself?"

A pink tinge hit his cheeks as he smiled and Sakura felt her chest tighten. "No. I had to get Sasuke to help me. I've...uh...never really been on a date before so I didn't know what to do."

She felt giddy when he confirmed it was a date, but there was something else he said that she had to ask about. "You've never been on a date?"

"Well, it's always just been one-night stands. You know, pick a girl up at a bar and then that's that. No relationships or dates to worry about."

She scooted around the table so she was next to Kakashi and grabbed his hand. There was just something so sweet about being his first for something so innocent. "Thank you for letting me be your first date." She leaned over to kiss him softly on the cheek and then shuffled around back to her place, blushing furiously while Kakashi felt his own cheeks heat up.

"You're welcome."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of dinner went by quietly, the two ninja sharing a comfortable silence and shy glances. Kakashi was wrestling with himself, wondering when he should tell the magnificent woman across from him that he was in love with her. If he told her now and she rejected him, the rest of the night would be ruined. If he told her later and she accepted, they could have enjoyed more intimate moments throughout the night. The boys were adamant that she felt the same way, but Kakashi wasn't one to take someone else's word for it. Ultimately, he decided to wait it out. If she didn't feel the same then at least he could have this amazing evening with her.

The bill came and Sakura watched in awe as Kakashi pulled out a thick wad of bills and paid without even batting an eye. "Doesn't it bother you to pay so much for a meal?"

Kakashi blinked at her before chuckling. "Sakura, I have my inheritance from my father. I received his pension after his death since I was a minor which I saved, I have ANBU retirement pay coming in plus all of the pay I currently get from missions. I need to spend it all on something."

Sakura had to giggle to keep her mouth from opening and closing in surprise. "And yet you skip out on the bill at Ichiraku."

"That's just because it's way too much fun to make Naruto and Sasuke mad."

As the pair made their way downstairs, the hostess stopped them. "Here are some bags a young woman dropped off earlier for you. There are some facilities just down this hall if you would like to use them to change."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura was standing in the restroom, debating how she was going to put such a gorgeous kimono into a _duffel bag_ when Ino came in, all smiles. "How is your date going, Forehead?"

"Wonderful." Sakura's face turned dreamy and then she gave the blonde a look. "Why are you here?"

"I came to take back the bags, but it seems my timing is perfect. Now I can help you get out of that kimono and it won't have to sit all crumpled up for too long."

After changing, Ino pulled the pin from Sakura's hair and brushed the strands out to lay straight. "Now you still look marvelous, but casual. Perfect!"

Sakura looked down at the fluffy white sweater, the jeans and the white sneakers on her feet. "I do look good, don't I?" She smiled playfully at her friend who giggled.

"Come on! You don't want to keep your yummy date waiting!"

Sakura stepped out of the bathroom and swore her heart stopped. Seeing him in a kimono was one thing. Seeing Hatake Kakashi in casual clothes that showed off his physique was something else entirely. The mask was back on and Sakura found she was grateful for two reasons.

1) She had become quite possessive of Kakashi's face and didn't want Ino or anyone else seeing it.

and

2) She knew if she could see his face at that moment along with the shock of how good he looked, she would have definitely fainted.

Kakashi was dressed in black jeans and a dark gray sweater, leaning against the wall with one foot planted on said wall and arms folded across his chest. The clothes, the position, Sakura wanted to drool. He just seemed to radiate sex.

Ino snapped from her own stupor and rushed over to pick up his bag. "I'll...uh...just be getting these back to the orphanage for you. Uh...bye!"

Kakashi watched Ino's retreating figure and once he and Sakura were the only two in the secluded hallway, he stepped closer to her, pulling the mask down as he approached. "You look..." he leaned down so his lips were by her ear, "...delectable." He pulled back and gave her a wink and a smirk and was rewarded by Sakura closing her eyes and leaning against the wall behind her.

She took a minute to reel in her wayward imagination, which was conjuring all sorts of naughty images, and then looked at the man in front of her with her own smirk. "Why, Hatake Kakashi! Are you flirting with me?"

He offered her his arm and lead her out of the restaurant. "I think I am, Haruno-san. Are you opposed to my advances?"

Sakura laughed lightly. "Just make sure you keep your advances gentlemanly and we'll be fine."

The pair strolled casually from the pricey business district to the more common one. "Where are we headed now?"

Kakashi smiled down at Sakura. "We're going to the movies. If you like."

Sakura's eyes glittered up at him. "Oooh, I haven't been to the movies in forever! I've just been so busy and then when I finally get some time off I'm either too tired or friends are dragging me out somewhere else."

Her enthusiasm died when she spotted the list of titles playing. "Oh hell no." She stopped abruptly and Kakashi turned to look at her in amusement.

"What's the matter, Sakura-chan?"

"I am _not _going to see your stupid porn!" She glared at the 'Icha Icha Tactics' poster, hoping to ignite the offending item with her glare alone.

"First of all, it's not porn. Second, that might not even be the movie we are going to see. Will you just trust me on this?"

After a moment of hesitation and with a sigh, Sakura relented but kept her head down the entire time they made their way to their seats so she never noticed what movie they were actually there to see. She leaned back in her seat, finally lifting her head and was pleased that Kakashi had selected seats in the back of the theater. Ninja didn't like people behind them. After all, that was a lesson you learned in the academy. She crossed her arms, still apprehensive, as she watched the various trivia before the movie rolled across the screen.

"Sakura, are you going to be angry with me all night?"

"If we aren't watching an 'Icha Icha' movie, then I'll be fine."

"Good. Trust me, it's not 'Icha Icha', though I really wanted to see it." He pouted and Sakura almost melted. She wasn't sure she would have been able to tell him no if he had given her that look and asked to see the movie.

"What are we seeing then?"

He grinned triumphantly. "'Demon Kunoichi'."

Sakura sucked in a breath in delight. "Oh, I want to see that so bad!"

Kakashi held his grin. "I know. That's why we're here. I never would have pegged you for a horror fan though."

Sakura shook her head. "I'm not usually. And I certainly wouldn't want to watch it alone, but the story just seems so eerie and interesting at the same time."

The lights dimmed and Sakura shifted so she leaned slightly towards Kakashi, hand on the armrest. Kakashi took note of her position and spent the next 30 minutes locked in an internal debate with himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura was trying to watch the movie from the corner of her eye, scared and drawn in all at the same time. She almost jumped when she felt something warm cover her hand and then relaxed and offered Kakashi a smile when she realized it was his hand. She turned her attention back to the movie, only to have butterflies erupt in her stomach when his hand slid under hers, threading their fingers together. She would have been happy with that, but when his thumb started to rub gentle circles across her knuckles, all thoughts of the movie flew out of her mind and she stared unseeing at the screen. She glanced up at her former sensei and saw him looking back with both eyes, when the sharingan had been closed all evening. He seemed to reach a decision and lifted the armrest that separated their seats and put an arm around Sakura, capturing her hand with his other one. Deciding she liked this new position...oh so much...she turned back to the movie with a small smile on her lips.

Kakashi slowly threaded his fingers with Sakura's over the back of her hand and allowed a smile to grace his features when she squeezed gently and ran her thumb along his index finger. It was funny to him that the actions were so innocent but had him feeling giddy inside. He wasn't one to feel giddy about anything. Maybe Sasuke and Naruto had been right about her feelings.

A sudden bang in the movie caused Sakura to jump and her hand grabbed the closest thing, which happened to be Kakashi's thigh. Taking note of her embarrassed face, he leaned down so he could whisper to her. "Why Sakura. I didn't think you'd be so straight forward."

She glared up at him with a scowl. "Pervert." However, she didn't move her hand and Kakashi wasn't about to complain.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The credits began to roll and Sakura and Kakashi waited for the crowd to thin out before exiting as well. "Did you enjoy the movie?"

Sakura smiled up at him, still wrapped up in his arm, hands threaded together. "It was good. Creepy and I'm sure I'll have nightmares for a few days, but good."

Kakashi stood and helped her up. "Well, we have one more stop I wanted to make."

Sakura gave him a soft smile. "I've already had such a wonderful time, Kakashi."

He grinned back, eyes curving and she was powerless. "Then this last thing will make it even better."

He entwined his fingers with hers once more and lead her from the theater. As they walked hand in hand to their next destination, Sakura looked at him in contemplation. "I know you have something to ask, Sakura. So go ahead."

"I was just wondering who else has seen your face. You said no one has seen it in ten years the first night you showed me."

"Well, let's see. My parents obviously. We didn't have any other family members around Konoha and we weren't close to any of them anyway so that was it for family. Besides them, my dentist although I don't really count him since he really only sees around my mouth. And now you."

"That's it? Who saw it ten years ago then?"

"I had a nasty run in with a Mist ninja who broke my jaw. The medic that healed me saw my face. That's been it."

Thoroughly intrigued, Sakura continued her questioning. "What about...you know...your more personal encounters?"

Kakashi laughed and Sakura's breath caught at his expression. He was even more beautiful when he laughed. "I don't exactly need to remove my mask for that. Remember I've never been in it for anything more than gratification. I've never left anyone hanging, but I wasn't willing to waste time exploring anyone either. Just like I've always used protection. I wanted that barrier there. Otherwise, it would have been too personal and I think the only one I'll ever take my time to learn properly and feel completely will be my wife. Those other girls were just flings, but I will make love to my wife."

Sakura was sure she needed some sort of cardiac check-up. Her heart feeling like it was stopping this often couldn't be healthy. She noticed they had stopped walking and looked up to see a dark building. "What's this?"

Kakashi gave her a sly smile. "You'll see." He withdrew a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, flicking on a light and leading Sakura inside. He went threw a few hallways and down a flight of stairs before opening another door and Sakura gasped.

"An ice rink?"

Kakashi leaned against the wall with that same sly smile on his face. "Like it?"

Sakura launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Kakashi! I've always wanted to go ice skating! Thank you!" She stepped back all too soon for Kakashi's liking and turned back around to gaze at the white sheet on the floor. "What about skates? I don't have any."

He merely nodded his head in the direction of the bench next to them and Sakura noticed the two pairs of skates sitting there. "Yay!"

They put on their skates and Sakura looked at Kakashi shyly. "I've always wanted to skate, but I've never been. So I don't know how."

Kakashi smiled at the opportunity he'd been given. "Here. I've been a few times." He took her hands and slowly slid backwards on the ice as Sakura let him pull her forward. She slipped once and Kakashi smiled as she burrowed into his chest as he caught her. Just like in everything else, Sakura was a quick learner and soon her competitive spirit kicked in.

"Alright, Kakashi. How about a race?"

Kakashi quirked a brow at her. "Channeling Gai?"

With a slight quirk to her lips, Sakura replied. "If that's how you want it. ETERNAL RIVAL! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A RACE! THREE LAPS AROUND THE ICE RINK! LET US SEE WHO'S FLAMES OF YOUTH SHALL BURN BRIGHTER ON THIS GLORIOUS NIGHT!"

Kakashi stared at her, slightly horrified, before breaking down into a fit of chuckles. Once he got his breathing under control, he straightened and gave her the nice guy pose. "I accept!"

Two hours and many races later, Kakashi and Sakura sat on the bench catching their breath. "Kakashi I don't remember ever having so much fun as I've had tonight. I almost don't want it to end."

Kakashi eyed the kunoichi thoughtfully. He still hadn't told her and after worrying over it for days, he finally knew how to tell her how he felt. "Put your shoes on. I have one more thing I wanted to do."

Sakura arched a brow at him. "I thought you said this was it."

"I changed my mind. I'm allowed."

Sakura smiled and complied with his wishes.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi lead Sakura to his apartment, leaving the young woman raising an eyebrow while questioning his intentions. "I promise to be a gentleman, Sakura."

Giving him a disbelieving look, she stepped past him and into the apartment when he gestured for her to enter and then he closed and locked the door behind him. "So, why did you bring me to your place?"

Kakashi took a deep breath, steeling himself for the moment. He went over to his stereo system and started shuffling through his CDs. "I have something I want to tell you, but I haven't really been able to find the words."

Sakura felt those butterflies spring to life in her stomach again. She wished with everything she had that he was about to tell her what it sounded like he was about to tell her. She held her breath as he selected a CD and pushed play. "Will you dance with me, Sakura?"

She shyly placed one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand and allowed him to sway her to the beat as a slow and sexy love song came on. He threaded his fingers through hers again and placed a kiss to the back of her hand before holding it close to his chest. The words started up and Sakura had to lay her head on Kakashi's chest to keep him from seeing her flushed face.

_I have been blind, unwilling to see_

_The true love you're giving._

_I have ignored every blessing._

_I'm on my knees confessing._

_That I feel myself surrender_

_Each time I see your face._

_I am staggered by your beauty,_

_Your unassuming grace._

_And I feel my heart is turning,_

_Falling into place._

_I can't hide_

_Now hear my confession._

Sakura felt Kakashi's arm tighten around her and closed her eyes to fight the tears. She could not cry in front of him. Not when she wasn't entirely sure of his feelings. Yes, he was dancing with her to an incredibly beautiful love song after saying he needed to tell her something, but she was not one to make assumptions. If she made the wrong one, it would utterly destroy her.

_I have been wrong about you._

_Thought I was strong without you._

_For so long nothing could move me._

_For so long nothing could change me._

_Now I feel myself surrender_

_Each time I see your face._

_I am captured by your beauty,_

_Your unassuming grace._

_And I feel my heart is turning,_

_Falling into place._

_I can't hide_

_Now hear my confession._

She bit back a sob as Kakashi rested his cheek on the top of her head. She swore if he didn't tell her he loved her after this, she would kill him. She would kill him and chop him up into bits and feed those bits to whatever animals she came across in the woods around Konoha. He took a breath and Sakura thought he was going to say something, but when he started to softly sing along with the next part she began to shake since she was trying so hard _not_ to cry.

_You are the air that I breathe._

_You're the ground beneath my feet._

_When did I stop believing?_

_Cause I feel myself surrender_

_Each time I see your face._

_I am staggered by your beauty,_

_Your unassuming grace._

_And I feel my heart_

_Falling into place._

_I can't hide_

_Now hear my confession._

_I can't hide_

_Now hear my confession._

She didn't know how she managed, but she kept the tears from falling. She couldn't really see since they were all gathered and just waiting to be let loose, but they hadn't rolled down her cheeks yet. She started to blink rapidly, hoping to clear the tears from her eyes before Kakashi noticed.

He pulled back slightly to see if she understood what he was trying to say. When he saw the moisture in her eyes and the quivering of her bottom lip, he was done with the games. Done dancing around each other and flirting and dropping hints without saying what they truly meant. He watched as she bit down on her bottom lip to stop its trembling and heard her try to stifle a sob and decided actions speak louder than words. He swooped down and brushed his lips over hers, before sighing and applying gentle pressure, hoping she would press back.

Instead she let out a broken sob and pulled back abruptly. "Kakashi, I need to hear you say it. If this is just a game you're playing or a fling to you I can't do it. I can't...take it if you don't mean it." She let out another choked sob. "You...I...love you so much. Please don't play with me. It would break me."

Kakashi pulled her tighter, feeling lighter than he had in years. She loved him. And now he needed to say it, too. "Sakura. When this mission started, I found you undeniably attractive. Gorgeous, vivacious, far out of my league. But as I watched you interact with the kids and saw sides of you emerge that I didn't know existed, I felt myself being pulled in more and more each day. What started out as something purely physical has evolved and I want nothing more than to learn even more about you and open myself up to you in ways I never have with anybody else. I love you, Sakura."

Sakura was crying, smiling and laughing in an odd outburst of emotion and looped her arms around Kakashi's neck, pulling him tight while she struggled to get everything under control. "I've loved you for so long, Kakashi. This past year has been torture."

Eyes wide, Kakashi thought back over the last year, looking for any signs he may have missed. All he came across were times where he probably broke her heart without realizing.

_The regular crowd was in the bar, laughing and talking. A pretty brunette started flirting with Kakashi. Sakura had apologized after crushing her drink glass in her hand. An oblivious Kakashi had left with the brunette._

_Sakura and Kakashi had been sparring, just the two of them. As they got ready to leave, Kakashi patted Sakura on the head like a child. 'You're doing great, kid.'_

_While on another trip to the bar, Kakashi had been forced drunk by his friends and recalled his latest conquest to an amused Genma. Sakura kept blinking her red eyes and biting her lip, saying someone's perfume or the smoke must be getting to her. _

_On one of the team's weekly outings to a restaurant, a blonde had passed their table and winked at Kakashi. Moments later he excused himself to go to the restroom and from her position at the table, Sakura saw him kiss the woman through his mask before she pulled him into a restroom. Kakashi had returned a while later looking more relaxed than he had previously._

_And finally, the morning she came into his apartment and found him in bed with the terribly unattractive kunoichi._

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his hand over Sakura's back while pulling her tighter. He had been such an idiot. And he intended to make all of it up to her, starting with their first kiss. When Sakura's arms loosened from his neck and she pulled back slightly, Kakashi dipped his head to brush their lips together, starting just as he did the last time. This time when he gently pushed against her lips, Sakura pushed back, only using enough pressure to let him know she was responding. When she lazily pulled at his lips with her own, he gave a groan and knew he was lost. He was hoping to blow her away with an amazing, breath stealing kiss but it appeared she was quite talented with her lips as well.

As the pressure between their lips grew, Kakashi needed something more and knew Sakura felt the same way judging from her tiny whimper. He captured her bottom lip between his and suckled softly before running his tongue lightly along her lips. Sakura's hands came up to tangle themselves into his messy locks and Kakashi was caught off guard as she pulled his head closer and plunged her tongue into his mouth without warning. Sakura's domination was extremely arousing to Kakashi and he replied to her challenge whole-heartedly. He cupped her face in his hands before sliding his hands forward until her pink hair was flowing through his fingers. Pulling back completely breathless, they leaned their foreheads against each other and panted for a moment.

Sakura giggled slightly. "Wow."

Kakashi chuckled before smiling wickedly. "Imagine what else I can do."

Instead of calling him a pervert like she usually did, she met his gaze with one of her own roguish grins. "Perhaps after this mission is completed, you can show me."

Kakashi bit his lip to keep from groaning and pulled her hips into his. "How about I show you now?"

Sakura gasped at the hard bulge pressing into her lower stomach and felt bad about what she was going to say to him. From a medical standpoint, she knew if he didn't get relief he was going to hurt. "Kakashi, I don't want it to be a quick experience while we're on a mission. I want us to be able to take all night, sleep in and wake up next to each other. Then go at it again if we feel like it. We won't be able to do it like that tonight. Just give us one more night. Tomorrow night is our last night at the orphanage. Then we can turn in our mission reports and spend the next few days worry-free since we'll have them off."

Kakashi smiled at her. "Okay. I don't want it to be quick either. After all, I want to make love to the woman I love. I can't propose marriage yet, because it's just too soon. But I have a strong feeling that's where this is headed."

Sakura kissed him hard on the lips, trying to convey the effect his speech had on her without words. After a few more lingering kisses, Kakashi took her hand and the two made it back to the orphanage. It took longer than it should have, since Kakashi felt the need to pull his new girlfriend into every dark corner or alleyway and kiss her senseless, not that Sakura was complaining.

Finally coming in the door at 3 AM, the two were met by the anxious faces of Sasuke, Naruto and Ino. Not ones to beat around the bush, Naruto and Ino asked at the same time. "How'd it go?" and "Are you a couple yet?"

Sakura grinned and glanced up at Kakashi, who smiled behind his mask at the two before going over and grabbing all three in a group hug. Sasuke struggled, Naruto was confused, and Ino was blushing. "I want to thank all three of you for meddling. This was the happiest night of my life."

XXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Choking...on...fluff. (dies) The song is 'My Confession' by Josh Groban. Listen and love it. Reviews still loved and adored! Hugs & Kisses!


	7. Somber

Sorry about the delay in updates. I found myself sort of sick of this after the last overly sappy chapter. I don't know why, but it seems to be all or nothing with date scenes for me. Ah well. That part's over now. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

A little side note: It goes very slightly AU here. I mention something in the recent manga, but take it a different direction than the series is going. Nothing huge, but I figured a little warning was in order so no one goes 'WTF?'

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. This fic is only for entertainment purposes and not monetary gain.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dream A Little Dream

Chapter 7: Somber

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After getting the third degree by their friends and Kakashi infuriating them with his single word answers, the group parted to get some sleep. Ino pulled Sakura aside as she walked her to the door. "Forehead, you will tell me next time we have a get together, right?"

Sakura smirked at her best friend. "Some things."

Ino's cheeks puffed as she pouted but Sakura was immune to such displays. "Night, Pig. And thank you."

She closed the door and headed upstairs where Kakashi was sitting on the bed, grinning at her cheekily. "What's that look for?"

"Are you sure you want to wait until the day after tomorrow?"

With a sigh and an eye roll, Sakura flung a nearby pillow at him. "You are insufferable. Yes, I want to wait until we're done here."

Kakashi - sans mask - gave off an incredibly cute sulky expression and Sakura couldn't stop herself from making a flying tackle at him. "Kakashi, you're adorable but the answer is still 'no'."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once both had showered - separately much to Kakashi's chagrin - Sakura found she was much sleepier than she had previously thought. Kakashi laid down next to her and as soon as she allowed herself to relax, her eyes began to close. She was able to half-heartedly respond to a kiss from Kakashi and then heard a chuckle before a heavy and warm arm settled over her waist.

Sakura woke before Kakashi and dressed quickly before heading downstairs. It was their last full day with the kids and she wanted to get in as much time with them as possible. The idea of adopting them had entered her mind, but she wasn't ready for children. Add the fact that she still loved going on missions and she realized it wouldn't be a good idea.

She crept downstairs just as Keisuke stumbled from his room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Good morning, Sakura-san."

"Good morning, Keisuke! Any special requests for breakfast?" She smiled brightly at the sleepy boy.

After taking stock of what was in the fridge, he grinned widely. "Do you know how to make donuts?" Sakura didn't actually. But when Keisuke said the head mistress used the pizza dough in the fridge and fried it, Sakura could figure it out from there.

Soon after the little balls of dough started sizzling away, the others woke up to the sound of the sizzles and Keisuke and Sakura giggling. She plopped another handful of balls into the oil and jumped back as it started to spit out at her, causing another bout of giggles from the kid rolling one of the donuts in cinnamon and sugar.

Kakashi poked his head in with Yuki on his hip and grinned widely at the sight. "You two seem to be having way too much fun."

Keisuke looked over at the man and smiled, exchanging morning greetings. Sakura took the opportunity to dip her fingers into the bowl of powdered sugar and then flick them at Keisuke, dusting his head with the white substance. The rest of the children entered quickly, smelling the freshly baked goodies.

Breakfast was another animated experience, everyone talking over each other and starting to giggle from the mass amounts of sugar being consumed. Naruto started a near riot when he mentioned the kids might enjoy watching a sparring match. Half-eaten breakfasts lay forgotten as the youngsters scurried around throwing on clothes, yelling for no reason at all except excitement to see real ninjas in action.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke and Naruto were giving the wide-eyed kids quite a show as they gave each other a workout. With jutsu executed, kunai and shuriken thrown and fists and feet flying, the kids were in awe.

Sanosuke seemed even more interested than the rest, but that was only natural since he wanted to be a ninja. He was also surprisingly mature about it. While the rest of the kids just watched, he was asking Kakashi questions. How do jutsu work? How did Sasuke and Naruto remain standing on the tree sideways? How long does it take to learn how to aim a kunai? Despite being a hard-ass genin instructor, Kakashi was patient with the little one, calmly explaining the answer to each question in terms Sanosuke would understand.

Akane looked at Sakura in concern. "Aren't they hurting each other?"

Sakura laughed lightly. "A little bit. But this is how ninja learn and train to be stronger. They don't hurt each other enough to cause serious damage, just a few bruises or minor cuts. And with me being a medic, any injuries they receive I can fix right away." She paused for a second. "Truth be told, Naruto and Sasuke train a little more roughly than most ninja. They consider each other rivals and to be honest, I think they enjoy beating the living daylights out of each other."

Akane sighed. "Are all men that stupid?"

Sakura's glance flickered to a listening Kakashi and she immediately thought of Gai. Giving her new love a little smirk, she gazed back down at Akane and sighed dramatically. "Yes."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The boys stayed and taught the older kids some taijutsu while Kakashi and Sakura headed back to the orphanage with the twins, Ayao and Yuki. "Do you think they'll be alright with Naruto and Sasuke?"

Kakashi's eye creased happily at her. "They'll be fine. The boys will behave with the kids there. And it won't hurt the kids to learn some self-defense. Even if Keisuke and Akane don't want to be ninja, there's no reason they can't learn to protect themselves."

Sakura nodded and then grinned widely at Kakashi. It was wholly adorable and a little humorous to see the feared Copy Ninja carrying two sleeping toddlers. Kakashi felt the stare and looked back at Sakura carrying the twins and felt a knot in his stomach. He was a little startled to realize he wouldn't mind putting a few of _his_ babies in her arms. He knew he loved Sakura. He knew he wanted to spend his life with her. But children and _a few_ had him off-kilter.

Finally reaching the orphanage and settling the kids in for their naps, Kakashi and Sakura cuddled up on the couch. "Sakura, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you know when you'll want kids?"

Sakura rose a pink eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Well, I'm only 21. I'm not in any sort of rush. Maybe 5 or 6 years? That gives me plenty of time to become more stable in my medical career and save up some money. I also can take those years and satisfy my more adventurous side with some missions."

Kakashi thought about her statement. In five years, he would be 40. Certainly not old, but old enough to slow down on the missions or take less dangerous ones. He didn't have any specialties to fall back on like Sakura so there wouldn't be any pressure to take up a new position. He could be at home with the kids while Sakura worked at the hospital. And if she wanted time off, he had plenty saved from his inheritance from his father, his retirement pay from ANBU and once he retired from active status he would get regular retirement pay as well. The time line was a great one and he smiled happily at her, tightening his embrace as he envisioned little Hatakes running around with pink hair or green eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dinner that night was quiet. The kids and the ninja who were watching them were all saddened that this was their last night together. Keisuke pushed his chicken around on his plate. "I don't want you all to leave."

Sakura smiled softly at him. "Sweetie, we can still come to visit. There's no reason we couldn't make time to see you guys. There may be some times when we won't see each other for a while because of our ninja duties, but we'll always come back eventually."

Akane pouted. "It's just not the same."

Naruto frowned. "I know."

Yuki was too young to realize what was happening, but Sakura noticed Kakashi was helping the little girl more than usual with her food and making all sorts of excuses to talk to her. She grinned while shaking her head slightly. That toddler had him wrapped around her little finger, and all she had to do was wobble up to him on day one and try to remove his mask.

Bath time was much simpler than in the beginning. Naruto and Sasuke got the twins bathed and in bed in record time, quick enough that they could help Sakura and Kakashi with the remaining kids. After baths, the kids were up in the playroom, gathering whatever little animals they wanted to take to bed while the three men were getting the beds in order. Sakura sat down at the piano in the corner and started to tap a little tune on it while the kids searched.

Sanosuke sat on the bench next to her. "You play?"

"I really only know one song. My mom used to play a lullaby for me when I was little."

Ayao crawled up on her other side. "You play for us?"

Well, how could she refuse a request like that? The girl was too cute. Sakura had no doubt that shy little Ayao was going to have boys falling all over themselves for her when she was older. She also had no doubt that Sanosuke would be running off the riff-raff. "Sure."

Plunking at the keys to find the right one after so long, Sakura started in.

_Goodnight, sleep tight_

_No more tears_

_In the morning I'll be here_

_And when we say goodnight,_

_Dry your eyes_

_Because we said goodnight_

_And not goodbye_

_We said goodnight_

_And not goodbye_

The song wasn't very long, but Sakura found her audience had grown by three when she looked over towards the doorway. Naruto and Sasuke gave her smiles as they rounded up the kids and Kakashi embraced her. "I didn't know you had such a beautiful voice."

Sakura scoffed. "I don't like to sing in front of people, but the kids were just too damn adorable." She huffed again and Kakashi chuckled at her.

They passed Naruto and Sasuke as the two boys came out of the kids' rooms and Kakashi pulled Sakura close. "You know after seeing that, I'll have to insist you have my children someday."

Naruto stuck his finger in his mouth and made a gagging noise as they passed. "Get a room."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After getting the kids to bed that night, the original Team 7 sat at the dining table with tea, a little heartbroken about leaving the kids they'd grown close to in the last week. Naruto leaned his chin on a palm, pouting. "Hey, Sakura-chan. You and Kakashi have been great with the kids and are a couple now. Couldn't you adopt them?"

Sakura gaped at her friend while Kakashi choked on his recent sip of tea. Sure, she had briefly entertained the idea, but that wasn't something she was willing to disclose to the others. "Are you crazy?! First of all, Kakashi and I just became a couple last night. I know I would like some time with it being just the two of us. Second, I'm not ready to give up missions and my hectic position at the hospital. Third, I'm not ready to be a mom. And last but not least, SEVEN kids at one time?! I pose the question again, are you insane?!"

Naruto recoiled slightly. "Geez, sorry I asked."

Sasuke sighed. "Dobe's right, though. It's a shame to leave the kids without parents."

Sakura softened. "I understand. And truthfully, it's going to be hard to leave. But it wouldn't be fair to us or the kids to put ourselves in that situation."

Kakashi was rubbing a chin in thought, having kept quiet most of the evening. With a bright eye crinkle, he leaned forward on the table. "Sakura and I may not be ready to be parents, but I know some people who are."

Sasuke raised a hand. "I am."

The other three looked at him in shock. A chorus of "What?" came from the trio and Sasuke sighed. "Look, I worry about having biological children after what the elders did to the clan the last time. If I adopt, the Uchiha can be proud once again without having to watch our backs. The powers of the Sharingan was the problem and I'll gladly let the Sharingan die out with me. I know Sanosuke wants to be a ninja so I was thinking about adopting him. And I don't think I could adopt him without little Ayao, so I know they won't be split up."

Sakura was deep in thought about someone dear to her. "I know Ino and Chouji have been trying to have children for almost six months now. Ino was saying she's worried they won't be able to have kids on their own. I know her mother was adopted, so maybe she'd be open to adopting the twins."

Naruto looked at Kakashi. "Who were you thinking about, Kaka-sensei?"

The elite jounin smiled. "I believe you know the answer to that."

Naruto squinted his eyes in thought. After a few moments of chin rubbing and searching the ceiling for answers, he snapped his fingers and grinned. "Iruka-sensei and Ayame!"

Kakashi nodded. "Ayame wants to adopt children. She says it breaks her heart that there are children out there with no one to raise them. And being orphaned himself, Iruka feels the same way."

Sakura bit her lip. "But would they take all three that are left? Akane, Keisuke and Yuki?"

Kakashi's shoulders shifted in a shrug. "Only one way to find out."

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A/N: Song is 'Goodnight' from Evanescence. I seriously wasn't going to have a song, especially since last chapter had not only a song, but a sappy song at that. However, I recently found this song amongst my old CDs and fell in love again. So, suck it up. Last chapter will be out soon. I promise! Reviews always loved and adored. Hugs & Kisses!


	8. Family

Yay! Final chapter! I just get such a sense of accomplishment and relief when a story is done. Sort of like putting a check mark on a to-do list. Hope you all enjoy the conclusion!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. This fic is made purely for entertainment purposes and not monetary gain.

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Dream A Little Dream

Chapter 8: Family

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When Sakura woke up, Kakashi was donning his jounin vest. "Going somewhere?"

"I was hoping to catch Iruka on his way to school. If I talk to him now, he can mull it over today."

Sakura nodded. "I know Naruto is going to be dying for some ramen at Ichiraku after the headmistress returns, so maybe we can talk to Ayame separately. It may work in the kids' favor."

Kakashi gave her a quick kiss as he headed for the door. "I shouldn't take more than an hour. See you in time for breakfast!"

Sakura shook her head in amusement as she got up to get ready. The man was successful at seeming aloof and cold, but he was probably one of the sweetest, most big-hearted people she knew.

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While Sakura expertly flipped and stacked pancakes, Naruto and Sasuke peeled and chopped various fruits and Kakashi was doing surprisingly well with the bacon and eggs. The ruckus in the kitchen woke the kids and they shuffled out in various degrees of coherency. After a few minutes of silence, Keisuke perked up and began chattering away. Akane was bright-eyed immediately out of her room. Sanosuke sat at the table with his head down, Ayao sat next to him sleepily observing everyone else and Yuki just went up to Kakashi and buried her face in his pant leg.

Kakashi looked down and his face softened. "Hey, Yuki. Let's get you in your high chair. This stuff is hot and I don't want you to get hurt." He looked questioningly at Sakura and she nodded with a smile.

"I've got this. You can get started on everyone's drinks."

A little wail came from down the hall and Naruto and Sasuke immediately began preparing bottles, causing Sakura to feel proud of them. From putting on diapers backwards and pureeing ramen to wanting to adopt and knowing exactly how to make a bottle, the boys had come so far.

Once everyone was settled in for breakfast, Sakura whispered to Kakashi. "How did it go with Iruka-sensei?"

Kakashi smiled brightly. "He's very open to the idea and is going to come here after work to meet the kids."

Naruto perked up. "So after school lets out?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Good. I saw Ayame at the fruit stand this morning and she's coming here then, too."

Sakura was almost giddy. "Oh, I hope this works out."

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With the plates cleared and cleaned, the group went to play in the backyard. Kakashi and Sasuke were on the porch with the twins and Kakashi asked Sasuke the questions that had been plaguing him since Sasuke's declaration last night. "Sasuke, about adopting Sanosuke and Ayao, how will you cope when you have a mission?"

The Uchiha sighed. "You know as well as I do that the village will never trust me enough to be much more than a chuunin. My best bet will be to work at the academy or in the Hokage Tower, both of which will allow me to be monitored by those in charge. If I do happen to get a mission, I know most of the Rookie 9 or Team Gai would be willing to watch the kids for a few days."

Kakashi had to agree with him. The odds of the village letting Sasuke out of their sight again was slim. "What about money?"

Sasuke almost laughed out loud at Kakashi, or he would have almost if that wasn't such an un-Sasuke thing to do. "I'm the sole survivor of an entire clan! All the Uchiha funds and wealth are mine. Basically, I work because I love what I do and I'd get bored if I didn't."

Well, that solved that problem. With all questions answered, the two fell into a comfortable silence watching Sakura and Naruto play hide-and-seek with the kids.

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The day seemed to fly by, especially since they didn't really want it to end. As the kids were waking up from their naps, Iruka and his wife, Ayame walked in.

Naruto looked at the clock in wonder. "School's out already?"

Iruka nodded with a smile. "Yep. Same time as it used to let out, Naruto." He gave the blonde a sidelong glance and muttered, "You'd have known that if you showed up in class more than you did."

A tense staring match between the two men began and Ayame clapped her hands to break up the fight. "So, where are these children you were talking about?"

Sakura ushered forward Keisuke and Akane. "This is Keisuke and this is Akane. They're both seven."

Kakashi walked over with Yuki on his hip. "And this is my friend, Yuki. She's eighteen months."

Ayame knelt down in front of the two older kids. "Hello. I'm Ayame and this is my husband, Iruka."

Iruka was able to coax Yuki to let him take her from Kakashi and knelt down with his wife. The rest of the group quietly left the living room and headed for the play room, giving the possible family some time to get acquainted.

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Ayame came into the playroom an hour later, tears forming in her brown eyes. Sakura stood and immediately led the woman to one of the spare rooms and gave her a moment to pull it together. It wasn't long before Ayame was smiling and crying. "We would love to adopt those three."

Sakura couldn't help the lump in her own throat and started crying and laughing right along with her. "You had me worried for a minute."

Ayame smiled apologetically while wiping her eyes. "I'm just so happy! It doesn't take long to fall head over heels in love with those kids, does it?"

Sakura shook her head, not trusting her voice after that statement.

Ayame continued. "I can't even explain it, really. It was just this feeling that Iruka and I had. With those kids, we felt completely at ease and whole. Like we were a family being reunited. It doesn't make sense, but then again, stuff like this usually doesn't. Now that we've met, it's going to be hard going home without them while the paperwork and necessary checks are done."

Sakura smiled brightly. "Well at least you don't have to worry about the checks. With Iruka at the academy and you as a civilian, there's no reason for you to be denied since denials are usually only given to shinobi that do a lot of missions. And your house is big enough. The only thing that will need to be done is for the Hokage to sign her approval and you know Shishou won't have any problems with you two being parents."

The ramen girl pulled Sakura into a hug. "We can't thank you enough for this! We'll be back tomorrow to talk to the headmistress. Will you let her know for us?"

Sakura nodded fervently. "Leave it to me!"

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Akane and Keisuke were excitedly telling the other kids about the couple who were going to adopt them, going on about how cool it was that they were going to be brother and sister along with Yuki. Yuki didn't understand and Kakashi was grateful for that. To her, Iruka and Ayame would be 'daddy' and 'mommy' for as long as she'd be able to remember.

The headmistress returned while Sakura was cooking dinner and the kids rushed to greet her. It may be an orphanage and she may have been eager to get away, but Sakura saw in that moment how much the old woman loved the kids she was in charge of.

The four ninja gave her a debriefing while they all had dinner and she was ecstatic about Keisuke, Akane and Yuki's upcoming adoption. "So, this couple is a good couple then?"

The four nodded, enthusiastic in their support of their friends. Sakura spoke up. "All of us except for Kakashi were Iruka's students at the academy and the whole team are regulars at Ayame's ramen stand. They're very good people with kind and loving hearts and I know they'd make exceptional parents. They plan on coming by tomorrow to speak with you about the adoption."

The headmistress clapped in excitement. "As much as I love the kids that pass through here, nothing makes me happier than seeing them go to a proper home with new parents who can give them the love and attention they deserve and that can only come from being a family."

After dinner, the ninja told the headmistress about their plans for the rest of the children. She took Sasuke into her office after hearing about his intentions and the two came out smiling. When Naruto asked Sasuke what had him so eerily happy (since a smiling Sasuke usually means trouble) the last Uchiha showed them his copies of adoption papers. Once the Hokage approved and the appropriate agencies made sure his house was child-safe, Sasuke would be the proud parent of Sanosuke and Ayao.

Sanosuke was insanely giddy and that rubbed off on little Ayao who kept smiling. He pulled on Sasuke's pant leg. "Does this mean I'll be Uchiha Sanosuke and Ayao will be my sister, Uchiha Ayao?"

The question had the normally stoic young man looking a little wetter in the eye department and he smiled a huge and true smile at the little boy. "It sure does."

The interaction had all of Team 7 a bit choked up.

Holding back her tears, Sakura mentioned to the headmistress that she still needed to talk to Ino and Chouji and the woman happily agreed to meet with them if they were interested.

Finally, the time had come and the ninja were ready to leave. The children lined up for their goodbyes and there were smiles and tears and laughs and hugs all over the place. The most touching moment for Sakura came when Kakashi picked up Yuki and hugged her before heading off into a corner. Curious, she watched as his hand came up and pulled down his mask. Yuki giggled happily and patted his face before placing a sloppy baby kiss on his cheek. When the two came back, Sakura grabbed his hand when she noticed a little wet spot in the fabric over the Sharingan. "Do I need to be concerned?"

Kakashi looked at her strangely and she smiled. "In about twenty years, that little girl's gonna be a heart breaker. You, my dear, are already smitten. Should I be prepared?"

Kakashi chuckled and then sighed playfully. "By that time, I'll be old and unattractive to young women. Besides, you'd probably beat me up if I left you."

Sakura shook her fist jokingly. "Don't you forget it, mister!"

The quartet left, waving at the kids who were huddled in front of the orphanage doors, waving and yelling goodbyes. Sakura managed to hold it together, barely. Sasuke was still on cloud nine about his possible adoptions. Naruto was biting his lip, but the tears were steadily flowing. And Kakashi had his book up. Sakura suspected if he lowered it, his eyes...eye... would be a bit brighter. Considering the few sniffles she heard from him, she knew she was right.

The group got to the spot where they usually parted ways after missions. "I'll hand in the report to Tsunade-shishou. I'm going to stop by Ino's on the way back and talk to her about Makoto and Hana."

The boys nodded and bid the two jounin their goodbyes before disappearing with two pops. Kakashi looked at Sakura with a little gleam in his eyes. "Will you be coming to my apartment afterwards?"

Sakura winked at him. "Wouldn't dream of being anywhere else."

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Sakura flew towards Ino's house, grinning broadly. Tsunade had been willing and ready to sign adoption papers for Iruka and Ayame and Sasuke then and there. The only hurdle then would be the child-safe check and Sakura knew from being in the two homes that they were definitely ready. The purchase of some outlet plugs and cabinet and drawer stoppers would be the only things needed, besides moving chemicals up to higher places.

She came to a stop outside the flower shop and happily greeted Chouji. "Hey, Chouji! Is your pain of a wife in?"

A shrill shout of "I heard that, Forehead!" came from the back room and Sakura grinned slyly at the frowning woman who appeared. "Seriously, I help you and you insult me?"

Sakura shook her head. "You know I'm kidding. I actually had something to discuss with the two of you."

After laying out the deal for the two shinobi, she noticed Ino chewing her lip. "I'm not too sure, Sakura. I mean we do want kids, but I really wanted my own, you know?"

Sakura sighed. "I know, Ino. And just because you adopt doesn't mean you can't have kids later. And I wouldn't want you to adopt unless you're sure it's what you want, but those two are only one month old. They still have all of their firsts ahead of them. It'd be like kids of your own without the labor and stretch marks."

Ino looked at her husband who was smiling at her. "It wouldn't hurt to meet the babies. We've been having trouble, after all."

Ino nodded. She was still hesitant, but what harm would it do?

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Sakura headed to Kakashi's, ready for what was to come and nervous at the same time. She wasn't sure whether she should pick up speed or slow down. Realizing she was being ridiculous and Kakashi wouldn't pressure her, she picked up the pace, ready to be with him again.

She got to Kakashi's apartment and knocked before opening the door right after. The apartment was dark and Sakura wondered if he had gone somewhere. "Kakashi?"

She heard shuffling in the direction of his bedroom and slowly headed back there, kunai drawn in case there was trouble. Once she got to his doorway, the kunai fell with a loud clang and her eyes opened wide while her mouth dropped in shock.

The bed was dusted with rose petals and small candles cast the room with a warm glow. Kakashi stood there in the suit he was wearing the last time the team went to dinner, mask and forehead protector gone, holding a bouquet of pink, oriental lilies. His eyes crinkled as he smiled that bright smile that made her knees weak and Sakura leaned against the door frame for support. "Do you like it?"

Sakura looked around the room again before looking at her former sensei. "It's perfect. As long as you're here, it's perfect."

She closed the door and headed for Kakashi, all her nervousness from a few minutes ago completely erased.

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Six months later, Sakura and Kakashi dodged a bunch of running kids while entering Iruka and Ayame's yard. The couple smiled as three kids came full-speed at them. Keisuke, Akane and Yuki grabbed onto the newly arrived shinobi and hugged for all they were worth. Iruka approached with a smile on his face. "Glad you guys could make it. And I need to warn you that Yuki has added new words to her vocabulary and has been saying them since we started planning her birthday party. She was very excited about one guest in particular. Understandable since he's been on a mission for a month."

The pair looked at him strangely and he looked at his birthday girl. "Tell them your new words."

Yuki clutched Kakashi tighter and squealed. "Unca Kashi!" She buried her face into the man's shoulder and he looked at Sakura wide-eyed, a huge smile visible under his mask.

Sakura giggled. "That is too cute! What about you guys? Enjoying living here?"

Keisuke and Akane nodded emphatically. Keisuke sucked in a breath like he just thought of something. "Ooh, guess what? Grandpa is teaching me how to make ramen! It's a lot of fun and I think instead of training horses I want to take over the ramen stand when I grow up!"

Akane chimed in. "Daddy and Mommy took us camping last weekend! We saw all sorts of cool animals and Daddy did some really neat ninja tricks!"

The silver-haired shinobi and his pink-haired partner could only nod and smile, their heads spinning from the here and there comments the kids were making. Through the jumble, Sakura smiled mostly because the kids had adjusted well and were comfortable with their new family.

A loud shout from behind made them turn just in time to be tackled by Sanosuke and Ayao, the two newest Uchiha happy to see their friends after so long. Sasuke leisurely strolled in behind his kids. "They missed you while you were gone. All I heard was 'When are Auntie Sakura and Uncle Kakashi coming back?' Everyday, seriously."

Sakura stroked the brunette head of the little girl attached to her leg. Ayao had certainly gained confidence under Sasuke's care. She no longer hid in Sanosuke's shadow so much, which seemed to alternately relieve and sadden the little boy.

Sakura looked up at Iruka. "Are Ino and Chouji here?"

Iruka pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "They're in the backyard."

The group headed to the back of the house and Sakura smiled. Ino had Makoto and Chouji had Hana, ready to let the two babies try to make it to the other parent. Once the two had held the infants six months ago, it had been over. It was love at first sight and they had started the adoption papers there and then, not even bothering to think it over.

The headmistress was there, smiling warmly at the kids. She admitted it was a little lonely now that she didn't have any kids, but also admitted the only happy orphanage was an empty one. She still kept in touch with the kids, sort of an aunt to them all. Sakura set the presents she and Kakashi had bought for Yuki on the gift table before heading over to Ino, who was now cheering with Hana after a successful trek across part of the yard.

"Hey, Ino-Pig! How's motherhood?"

"Forehead, this is the best thing I've ever done. And I have big news for you."

"Oh? And what is that?"

Ino beamed, blue eyes brightening. "We're expecting!"

If Sakura hadn't seen Ino and Chouji interacting with the twins, the announcement would have made her nervous. Ino had wanted her own kids so bad, that there might have been concern over the twins becoming second-fiddle to the biological children. But Sakura knew the two never thought of the children as anyone's but their's after that first time holding them. "Congratulations, Ino! I'm so happy for you!" She hugged her best friend and then the father as he approached the two women.

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Sakura and Kakashi stumbled home after Yuki's birthday party, exhausted from playing with sugar-crazed kids all day. When Kakashi passed the turn for his apartment, Sakura pulled on his sleeve with a giggle. "I think your brain has imploded, love. Home is this way."

Kakashi smiled over his shoulder at her. "Follow me. I have something to show you."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Can it wait? I just want to fall into bed and sleep."

Kakashi shook his head. "You'll like this."

Falling silent and walking alongside the man she loved, Sakura didn't bother to notice their surroundings, more interested in burying her nose in Kakashi's sleeve since the man had decided to wear cologne that day.

"We're here."

Sakura looked up and cast a curious glance at the man beside her. "Kakashi, what's this?"

He pulled out a key to the gorgeous old home in front of them. "This is the Hatake home, Sakura."

She stepped forward to take in the sight. The house was stately and homey all at the same time. When she turned back around, she found Kakashi with his mask down and on one knee, holding a ring in his hand.

"How about it, Sakura? Will you marry me and help to make this house a home again?"

Sakura tackled him with a bone-crushing hug and a bruising kiss to his lips.

His lips split to reveal his perfect teeth. "Is that a yes?"

Sakura nodded, still not trusting her voice. She pulled Kakashi to his feet and toward the house. Finally she managed to choke out a response. "Come on, love. We have rooms to christen."

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A/N: And it ends with a little perversity. Yippee! Poor Kakashi couldn't read his book in the story so I had to make it up to him somehow. (grin) Reviews greatly appreciated and thanks a bunch for reading! Hugs & Kisses!


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